


The Soft Spaces

by Gilthlonel



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, More OCs, brief suicide mention, do i still remember how to do this?, gratsubingo2019, gratsuweek2k19, original exceed character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-07-09 03:30:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 23,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19880905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilthlonel/pseuds/Gilthlonel
Summary: A small collection of fics and scenes of Natsu and Gray that are soft or usually in moments of quiet.





	1. Pet

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so... This is for the gratsu summer events but I haven't post fanfic in forever and I am super shy on the internet... So, if I tagged something wrong or whatever please let me know! 
> 
> I do all my own editing and proofreading so be gentle as I try to get back into writing and getting a feel of these characters.

Natsu sighed softly as he entered the room for the third day straight in a row. He was sure there had been no change but he couldn’t stop visiting. The room hadn’t changed, still sterile and quiet. The soft beeping of the heart monitor and the quiet words of Dahlia, the tiny Exceed sitting next to her partner on the bed.

On the bed, just as pale as he’d been the day before lay Gray quiet and unmoving. Natsu felt something shift in him and had an uncomfortable wish that something would happen. An offbeat insult about his magic or the way that Gray would snark and then roll his eyes in that way that Natsu could just feel the judgment.

Instead, the other lay just as still as he had the day before. It had been three days since the mission where Gray had been hit by a near fatal spell. Wendy had promised that he would be fine, but as they worked out the cure it was better for him to sleep.

It wasn't better for Natsu though. A quiet Gray usually spelled problems and brought back memories of last year when Gray had had such a horrible breakdown that Natsu had almost lost him to his own personal demons.

Shaking himself from those unpleasant memories, Natsu moved forward and sat down in his usual spot and reached a hand out, gently running it through Gray’s hair before reaching for a cold hand.

“Porlyusica was by earlier and said that he’s looking better.” Dahlia spoke as she used her wings to move off the bed and settle on the little bed that had been brought in for her.

“That’s good to hear.” Natsu responded quietly, hand continuing to gently pet over Gray’s hand and arm.

“Wendy is thinking about trying to wake him a little later today.”

“Good… I’ll rip him a new one when he wakes up.” Another automatic response with no feeling.

“Natsu.” Dahlia’s tone took on that one she’d gained from Ezra and Natsu’s head snapped up with a bit of guilt. She glared at him with all the attitude that she stored in her tiny body. “He is going to get better and you are going to get your head out of your ass or I’ll go get Ezra.”

Natsu chuckled softly. “Sorry… I can’t help it.”

She softened and reached out and laid her tiny hands over his and gently petted his hands in comfort. “Let’s go get some breakfast before Wendy comes. We’ll need all our energy to yell at him when he wakes up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I'm trying to use these events as a way to get a feel for the characters since I haven't written in a long time and never for this fandom. So I hope by the end of this I have a good grasp on it... So let's see if this is just like riding a bicycle.


	2. Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you hear my voice?

“Can’t you ever just listen to me?” Natsu asked quietly as he sat next to Gray in the ruined field. “Or can you not just hear me?.”

The fight had been horribly long and the injuries they had gained hadn’t been pretty. Natsu was just glad that this time they had managed to not have such a big fight in Magnolia. Although that wasn’t his focus. Gray who was covered in bandages and bruises was laying on his back, surprisingly with his pants still on staring up into the clear blue sky.

“I heard you, you stupid fire eater. I’m still here aren’t I?!” Gray grumbled and finally turned to look at Natsu. They glared at each other for a second but Natsu broke first and looked away.

“Three? Four? Or is it five? Five times that I’ve had to see or hear that you’ve died or turned or…” He trailed off and stared down at the half scorched, ground. “It’s like you don’t trust the rest of us to keep you safe.”

“I don’t need anyone to keep me safe.” Gray pushed himself up, true anger in his voice. “I’m not weak Natsu.”

The Dragon Slayer huffed in frustration and dug his fingers into the dirt. He was not going to go to physical blows over this. Fists weren’t going to make Gray listen to the things that Natsu had once thought were understood.

“It’s not about weakness. It’s about friendship… Ah, fuck that’s not right either. It’s about wanting to live!” Natsu groaned out in frustration. “When shit gets tough you are always so quick to sacrifice yourself.”

Gray stopped and then looked away. He groaned softly as his ribs reminded him that they were probably broken and that he was supposed to be laying down until Wendy or Porlyusica managed to reach them. There was a lull in the conversation and Gray shifted uncomfortably as Natsu was close to truths that Gray still wasn’t sure about how to confront.

“It’s like you still want to die. And it makes me wonder if you are just spending all this time waiting for a chance to go.” Natsu was quietly crying now, Gray could smell it with his heightened senses. “And I am so scared that one day I won’t reach you in time.”

“Fuck firefly.” Gray reached out to Natsu and took his hand. “I-I can’t say that I don’t want to die sometimes but I do want to live. I do. It’s just my brain’s all messed up. And I can’t—”

“Can’t you see that I love you?” Natsu cut in and turned to look at him, eyes bright and overflowing. “I love you so fucking much and I’m trying to let you do this on your own but I—”

“You can’t fix me Natsu.” Gray chided him gently and then with a deep sign, tugged the pink-haired man until he moved closer and Gray could put an arm around him. “What am I going to do with you?”

Natsu shifted under Gray’s arm and looked up at him and he wondered for a brief second if the taller boy had even realized what his confession had meant. He pressed their lips together and for a second Gray was frozen in surprise but he softened and kissed back gently. One kiss turned into two and then more before Gray pulled back and Natsu buried his face in his shoulder.

“I’m gonna repeat it as many times as you need to hear it, Princess. I love you.”


	3. Flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is more or less an idea that might appear in a larger story...

Natsu was very familiar with the joy of flight from riding along with Happy and on the few occasions that Wendy had cast troia on him and allowed him to enjoy his time on an airship. But this was different. His heart felt so light and his stomach was swooping in the same way it did at those times. He felt so warm and happy inside and he wasn’t sure of what to do with it or where to send it. He was about to turn and express this feeling to Happy when he realized what it was.

“Oh no.” He gasped as he realized that he was staring at Gray covered in cuts and bruises after a hard fight in this years Grand Magic Games. He was in love with his best friend.

************

The fight was hard won as Gray looked up into the stands at the cheering crowd, the wizard he had beaten sitting on the ground with a sulk on their face. Before he knew what he was doing, Gray twisted around to look at Fairy Tail’s space and searched for Natsu before he even realized what he was doing.

“Motherfucker.” He whispered as he realized what he was doing, an uncomfortable sensation like flying fluttered in his gut as he saw Natsu’s pride filled face. Full of pride for him. The sensation intensified and that was how Gray realized in front of thousands of people that he was in love with Natsu mother fucking Dragneel.


	4. Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the end of the longest rainy season for Tokyo and I realized that for water I probably should have used that instead... but oh well...

The water is much hotter than Gray would generally like but it soothed the muscles that were aching from the fight. This new crop of wizards were giving him a run for his money but Gray was never one to back down from a good fight. Now though, it was late into the night and the baths were mostly empty.

Gray loved going to the outdoor baths at night when they were in Crocus. The moonlight above him, with most of the city's lights out and the quiet that settles on such a large city in the witching hours were his favorite moments during the Grand Magic Games. 

The smell of ash and cinnamon hit his nose and he sighed in contentment as his lover slipped into the water with him and arms wrapped around him as Natsu laid against him. It wasn’t often that Natsu was quiet like this but he often made exceptions for Gray.

“It was a good fight.” The Dragon Slayer murmured against his shoulder and Gray hummed in agreement. “I don't know who cheered more loudly for you… Juvia or Dahlia.”

Gray groaned in mock annoyance and pushed at the smaller man before relaxing again and kissing Natsu’s head. “And you were louder than both of them combined.”

Natsu shrugged and Gray sighed in appreciation when hot water sluiced over his chest. During the Grand Magic Games, it was hard to get quiet moments together, with the fighting, small inns with shared rooms and Ezra insistence on little to no PDA… this was worth everything.

“Hey, Snowflake… Are you gonna be cheering just as loudly for me tomorrow.”

“Who wants to cheer for overconfident flame brains?” The Devil Slayer jested but then petted Natsu’s hair before he got too indignant.

“You do.” Natsu grumped and closed his eyes and allowed the hot water and Gray’s heartbeat to lull him into a drowsy state. Tomorrow he’d take to the arena and fight Sting for probably the hundredth time. And then for a year one of them will have gloating rights.

But no matter the outcome when he left the field, that late tomorrow night he and Gray would be right back here. The warmth of the water and the quiet of the night giving them these moments they’d come to love in recent years.


	5. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the war, Gray's dreams are always painful and Natsu is never there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not quite sure where I was going with this one but I do like the spirit of it.

_It’s always the same dream. He’s standing in the guildhall before Zeref. His hands are in a position to cast. He’s so sure this is the right thing to do when Natsu comes crashing into him. Gray is left stunned and shocked. Why would Natsu save him? After what he had done, he didn’t deserve—_

Gray woke up to lazy morning sunlight and the distinctive itch of dry sweat. He pressed his hands against his face. Next, to him, the bed was empty. Natsu was already up and had gone to the guild probably. He never really stays long enough for Gray to savor his presence.

****************

_The guildhall is so quiet as he stares at Natsu’s teary face. The pink haired man is speaking from the heart but Gray can’t hear any of the words through the bloody haze that has settled over him. Behind Natsu, Zeref is smirking and blood is spilling from Natsu’s mouth and somewhere along the way, someone must have attacked— It’s Gray’s ice sticking out of Natsu’s chest._

Gray rolls over and dry heaves towards the floor. He hadn’t thought it was possible for the dreams to get worse but they have. It’s still dark outside and he’s worried for a moment that he’s woken Natsu but the other isn’t there. He’s gone home for the night and he never stays anyway.

****************

_He’s not even in the guild this time. He’s outside and battling Natsu. They are trading blows and yelling out nonsensical words that are almost as brutal as the attacks they throw. Gray is clearly winning the fight as Natsu loses more and more blood but the demon seems determined to not stop, to never surrender. Just like Natsu. And Gray can understand that but his magic is made to kill demons and this is the task that his father gave him._

_He isn’t sure which attack he uses, all of it has blurred together but Natsu has a purple ice arrow sticking out of his chest and he is staring at Gray with shocked disbelief. Blood begins to spill out of his mouth and suddenly there is no demon just Natsu wounded and tired._

_Gray has killed the love of his life._

This time Gray doesn’t retch or cry or reach for Natsu. Instead, he stares up at the ceiling a numbness coating his chest. Natsu and Lucy had left for a mission yesterday and they wouldn’t be back for a week. 

****************

_The guildhall is quiet as Gray stands before Zeref. The mad wizard is talking but Gray doesn’t care for his words. He remembers vaguely that the wizard had believed that Gray’s death would be the thing to awaken E.N.D. but Natsu doesn’t care for Gray like that and the Ice Wizard is so tired._

_It is better this way if he casts his magic. Zeref will be gone, Natsu will be alive, Juvia won’t be able to bother him, and Lucy and Ezra will make sure everyone is okay. And no one will remember him anyway. He smiles at the Black Wizard and calls forth all his magic power and the force of his will. Lost Iced Shell requires two main components. A mage with high magic and a strong will. Gray has both in spades._

“Damnit Snowflake!” Gray jerks awake, the room is covered in ice and Natsu is using his own internal heat to keep warm. For long seconds Gray is disoriented, why is Natsu here? He’s never here when he wakes up.

Natsu is about to start some kind of rant but he sees the disbelieving look at Gray’s face and slumps back down on the bed and pulls him in. Gray is surprised to feel how solid and warm Natsu is at first. Mind still halfway trapped in the dream.

“Hey, look at me.” Natsu rewards him with a kiss on the nose and Gray finds himself even more confused as his brain fights to catch up. “The nightmares are getting worse? Let me get you some water—”

“Don’t go.” Gray’s voice is shaky at best and Natsu relaxes back into the bed and pulls his close.”You were never here before.” 

“Idiot.” Natsu scolds him gently. “You’ve never let me stay before.”

Gray wants to fight, wants to tell Natsu that’s not true. And then he remembers that before today all the time that he had fought against this relationship with Natsu, thinking he wasn’t worthy of it. Sending him away and then suffering bad nightmares and reaching for the very person he had forced away.

“It’s okay, Princess. I’m not going anywhere.” The anymore is unspoken but Gray knows it’s true. He leaned into Natsu and breathed in his scent. Having Natsu here might not make the nightmares stop but he wasn’t going to let go either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note because I'm a ff.net author originally and love useless notes... I usually write Fairy Tail fiction to the soundtracks but... why do Gray's themes have no strings? Why are they just generic metal? Also, why is Mystogan's theme so badass and underused?!
> 
> *More importantly for you guys... There should be daily updates for a while because I managed to get a lot edited today.


	6. Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second time it happens, Gray is the one to bring him back...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure... I haven't read 100 Years Quest and probably won't. Mostly because well... it kinds of reads like a pure shipping money grab and what drew me to Fairy Tail was that for the most part the characters always defaulted to family over shipping and the other main themes. 
> 
> I mean, I will look at pic sets and listen to other people talk about it. Maybe one day when it's mostly complete I'll read it to fish for more family moments and cool scenes. But honestly, nobody seems to be particularly interested in writing a good story for it.

The words are blown against his ear on cool breaths. His own mouth is open but he’s not sure if it’s because of how heavy he is breathing or the words that are stuck in his mouth. The moment is quiet enough if he strains, even with all of his enhanced senses disrupted, he can still tell. He can always tell. Somewhere in all the chatter, he knows that Lucy is near, well as close as she can be in such an inferno.

Erza is probably checking the perimeter, she can never stand to feel useless and as he focuses on those things he can feel himself start to come back. Once again he turns his focus back to the cool breaths that are easing against his ear. Someone is not just close to him but inside the inferno. Skin pressed again skin and that person has to be _burning._ It makes him jolt at first, he’s hot enough to burn anything and everything into ashes.

He had done this before, and he could recall the desire to burn it all, to see nothing but ash as far as the eye could see. He tried to lift himself up, there was more to burn but arms were firmly wrapped around him, not stronger., but evenly matched.

 _Gray,_ his mind supplied and he jerked. Last time he had turned into this raging monster he had burned Lucy badly and had to deal with an earful from both her and Erza. But last time he hadn’t been this _hot_.

Looking down he saw two arms wrapped around him, thick black tattoos branded around the wrists that pulsed with strength both physical and magical. Gray was holding him back. Natsu felt fear erupt inside him. In general, he and Gray were evenly matched, but he had eaten Ignia’s flames again and that made his power too unpredictable.

Especially now that he was a passenger inside his own body. His own hands were dragon-like, with red scales and claws. He had gone beyond Dragon Force and he wasn’t sure what that meant. He was coming back to himself slowly. He could sense wind beyond where he sat. It was fairly obvious that Wendy was nearby and was that water? Juvia had decided to stay near them during this mission she could know no details about.

“…remember that mission when I accidentally shot wide with my ice and hit Macao in the head? We were such stupid shits back then…” The voice was smooth but he could hear the gritted pain. Was he hurting Gray? 

“…never hit off target.” Gray continued whatever silly stories from their youth that he was telling. It was a technique that worked on Gray when he had panic attacks. Natsu would tell stories while Gray tried to identify the things around him or correct Natsu if he thought he was telling a story wrong.

“…or on stealth missions…” The soothing voice continued, “…we both know you like it when I wear more jewelry…”

“Makes you look sexy.” Natsu rasped and both were surprised to hear him talk, “Should do it more often.”

Gray let out a hum in response and a soft cheek pressed against Natsu’s head. After gaining control of his mouth, Natsu focused on other parts of his body both inside and out until he could access his own magic container and quickly after that the flames extinguished rather quickly.

Almost immediately rain began to fall, which Natsu was sure was courtesy of Juvia. He was about to say something sarcastic to Gray about her when the other slumped against him. Natsu turned as quickly as he could.

Gray was covered in burns and his Devil Slayer Ice. His eyes were still opened but hazy with pain and Natsu wondered just how much it took for Gray to hold out and for how long? The Ice Wizard if anything was the most stubborn person that Natsu had ever met.

“There you are.” Gray’s voice was raspy as he reached for Natsu again and the Dragon Slayer was quick to ease the taller man into his arms. He tried to be careful of his burns but Gray seemed to be one large burn. Some were so bad that he swore the skin seemed to be completely charred. 

Wendy was by their side before Natsu could find his voice to call her, hands glowing gently as she tried to heal the worst of the damage. Natsu had never seen her go into Dragon Force while healing but apparently it did enhance her abilities.

“You shouldn’t have done that Princess.” Natsu whispered but the other shook his head.

“Would have burned yourself out.” Gray spoke quietly, voice raspy.

“Don’t talk.” Wendy ordered but Gray ignored her.

“…and then where would we be?” Gray let out a harsh cough that rolled into another and then he was gasping and trying to breathe. Natsu felt fear race through him as neither he nor Wendy could calm the attack and then Gray went slack.

“..tsu, NATSU.” Wendy smacked his arm lightly. He wasn’t really paying attention to her, instead, his senses focused on Gray. The soft breaths he was barely taking and the pulse fluttering but mostly strong. “He’s going to be okay.”

“We’re going to be okay.” He had been so wrapped up in Gray that he hadn’t heard Lucy approach. 

As the panic lessened and he listened to the soft sounds of them breathing. Soon the rest of his team would link back up and they would head to an inn. Wendy would work tirelessly to heal Gray. And Natsu would probably get scolded by her and Erza for burning another teammate. 

Later Gray would wake up and be embarrassed for ‘passing out from a little bit of fire’ and glare Natsu out of apologizing. Natsu would try to promise that it would never happen again but Gray would just cuff him across the head. They would be all right, Gray would always bring Natsu back just as Natsu would always do the same for Gray.


	7. Sunflower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone tell me this isn't stupid...
> 
> Some Gray angst (I need to add in some Natsu angst before this becomes my MO)

In hindsight, Sunflower might have been the dumbest name that Gray could have picked. Nothing about Natsu reminded him of the flower. He wasn’t tall or graceful. He wasn’t a bright summer sun even if his name implied such. No, Natsu was a raging fire that occasional simmered down to let those he cared for in.

And Gray would never let himself forget that. Two times, two times he had let Natsu think that he had betrayed him. Once with that Dragonoid mess and now with Avatar. The words came out of his mouth so easily and spilled like acid over his friends.

“Oi, Snowman you are thinking too loudly.” Natsu hissed as he rolled over to look at him.

“I just can’t sleep Sunflower.” Gray shrugged his shoulders in a helpless gesture. Not the slightest bit surprised when Natsu shifted up to look at him.

“Luce and I both know that what you said was for your cover.” Natsu started but Gray cut him off.

“I pretended to be the enemy twice. How many more times before it’s true?” Gray stared down at his hands. “How many times can someone cry wolf?”

At this Natsu bit his lip and looked away, he had never explained to anyone why it had been so important to take that job from Rogue and Minerva. Even now he was hesitant to do so but Gray was desperately seeking answers that only Natsu could give right now.

“Over a year ago… Mirai Rogue told me… He told me that you would kill Forsch.” Damn, it was so hard to speak past the lump in his throat.

“And you believed him.” Gray didn’t have the most expressive face to people who didn’t know him, but those close enough could see his eyes become like mirrors, the sardonic curve of his mouth that indicated he was done.

“No.” Natsu whispered harshly, cutting through whatever bullshit might have started in Gray’s mind. “Originally I had thought it was due to an accident. Then I wondered if it was due to those black marks of yours.”

“Then surely you must have doubted—”

“The only end that I could come to was that you had been possessed.” Natsu scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Future Rogue would have fucked up his past anyways. Attacking like that, telling me the future as if I wouldn’t try to save you.”

“Sunflower…” Gray whispered because apparently, he was wrong. Natsu was like a sunflower, warm and inviting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also... cause I haven't said this yet for some reason: Shout out to Scrivener! It has kept me in order for my writing, editing, and posting and I shall endeavor to love it forever.
> 
> I have it on my computer, iPad and phone like a loser too~


	8. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess this will act as a free space? This was originally meant to be 'dreams' and then it divorced itself from the idea because I have a mild obsession with the idea of all the off-screen conversations that must be happening.
> 
> Cause like 'big fucking shit' happens and no one ever talks about it.

It’s the same dream and Gray hates it with all of his being. He’s standing before E.N.D. with the intent of fighting to kill. It’s a dream and he knows it. The sky is red and the buildings are crumpled. Natsu is standing before him with vicious, dragon-like wings and a manic, bloodthirsty grin on his face.

“Are you really a Devil Slayer?” Natsu’s voice taunted him. “Don’t you feel the need? The call? Come kill a demon.”

Gray wants to protest after all Natsu is his best friend, but in the dream, the tattoo appears and then the inky blackness spreads across his skin. He tries to will it away but a red haze covers his vision and it feels as if he’s slamming his fists into harsh glass as he tries in vain to free himself.

“Gray. Gray come on… It’s time to wake up.” He jerks his eyes open to see Lucy staring at him with a soft look on her face and he groans and covers his eyes.

“Sorry.” He mumbled as he turned away from her in embarrassment. Natsu is off on a mission with Gildarts of all people and Ezra is on her own mission. Gray hadn’t wanted to be alone and had accidentally fallen asleep at Lucy’s place. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this Luce.”

“Pfff.” She rolled her eyes and bopped him on the head lightly. “The war was hard on us all.”

He hummed in agreement but Lucy didn’t understand and he wasn’t sure that any of the Guild members could, well maybe Laxus and the Raijinshuu but there was no way in hell he was going to talk to them about this. Lucy poked his forehead and plopped down next to him on the couch.

“You dreamed about killing Natsu again, didn’t you?” She asked quietly, an arm going around him and pulling him close.

It had taken a long time to really get a grasp on their friendship. Natsu, Lucy, and Gray loved to flirt and had a lot of platonic PDA. It had confused a lot of the Guild members but Gray had worried it’d had a negative effect on Lucy’s love life. Until he realized that well, Loke was far wiser then he looked.

“It’s on the list.” Gray shrugged, he had a lot of reasons to have nightmares. “But yeah, tonight I dreamed of E.N.D.”

Lucy bit her lip and squeezed his shoulder. After the war, she and Levi had taken it upon themselves to study more of the Lost Magics that had been gained, particularly what little could be found on Slayer magics. What she had found out about Devil Slayer magic hadn’t been promising.

“Gray… During the war, I think you went crazy.” She spoke quietly. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his own arms around her but she eased him back a bit. “No, I’m serious. Your magic. The one you inherited from your father can make the user go mad.”

She squeezed his shoulders. It was easy to make Gray turn off when even hinting at these topics and she wished she had waited for Natsu to come back to have this conversation. “The work you did with Porlyusica helped but only temporarily.”

“So I’m just some walking time bomb until I turn evil?” Gray asked pushing her away and standing up.

“Who’s evil?” The familiar voice sent a wave of relief through Lucy and then she checked the clock.

“Why are you back already? Why are you in my HOUSE?!” She groaned throwing her hands up in the air.

“Gildarts and I finished early but he wasn't ready to head back to Magnolia.” Natsu shrugged after he got through the window. “Happy went back to our place but my nose told me that my people were here and so I came.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have.” Gray’s voice was almost glacial. “I don’t know if I can handle talking about this with both of you.”

“Gray let me finish.” Lucy took his hand and Natsu’s smile turned down in concern. Gray groaned, Lucy knew that he couldn’t hurt her and he tugged his hand but she held firm. The girl was definitely stronger than she looked. “Your father had that magic for years and never turned evil. You just need more training, to master it.”

“Wait? Gray turn evil?” Natsu’s eyes rolled hard. “Act stupid, yes. Run off and get injured, yes. But turn evil? What craziness have I walked in on?”

“Luce thinks that my Devil Slayer Magic drove me crazy during the war.” Gray bit out and Natsu was immediately beside him. Gray hadn’t even realized he was trembling until then. “And I can’t… I… I destroy E.N.D. and then it turns into Natsu and I—”

“Oh Princess.” Natsu tugged Gray down so the taller man could curl into him on the couch. “During that fight you had gone mad. We both had.”

Lucy gasped and then she was there, sitting next to them, one hand on Gray’s back and the other grasping Natsu’s. There was a soothing quiet for a moment as Natsu looked over both his people. Six months ago he wouldn’t have been able to talk about this.

“Ezra and I talked about it. And about how she stopped us. She and I went to Jellal about it on that one mission we took a while back. I had been… worried since physically I will always be part demon.”

“That’s some big words from you, flame brain.” Gray choked out but Natsu could tell that he was listening to every word.

“The book Levi and found talked a lot about training the mind and the magic. Pulling it to the Users will.” Lucy spoke quietly and looked at Natsu. “But I imagine what Jellal told you was different.”

“Actually he sent us to Anna. She’s the only one who really knows anything close to what Zeref was thinking back then. All Slayer magic was made with the intent of hurting a specific target and often just like dragons the wizard almost always turns into whatever type of Slayer they are. A dragon, a demon, something that vaguely resembled a god. It was considered madness because they were persecuted by the very people they were trying to protect.” Natsu bit his lip.

“Like Ezra’s mother, but Irene wasn’t insane.” Lucy spoke quietly. “I heard from her and Wendy that maybe for a time she was but it was due to how others treated her and her own anger.”

“What brings the madness is the instability. Is the realization or the feeling of having no one. During the war when Lucy was attacked and I thought that I had only once choice… It drove me mad. And then the demon filled in the gaps.” Natsu nudged Gray gently.

“Maybe the realization that you were E.N.D. and that I had been so desperate to kill someone I loved was what drove me over the edge?” Gray asked quietly. “What’s to stop it from happening again?”

“Me.” Natsu stated honestly. “Lucy, Ezra, Happy. Hell, even Wendy or Loke. And it’s the same for me. I’ll never give up on you Snowflake.”

Even with Lucy’s fake gagging behind them, it was definitely one of Gray’s favorite kisses with Natsu.


	9. Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many of the things that Gray and Natsu have done started with dares, so why not this too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is technically 2 times in one day but I got home from work and felt like posting~

“I dare you to love me.” Natsu hissed against Gray’s lips as he pinned the Ice Mage to the wall, holding his gaze and forcing Gray to look him dead in the eyes. Green against dark blue as they stared at each other for long moments. “Come on, you scared of me?”

“I’ve never been scared of you Flamebrain and I most certainly ain't scared now.” Gray bit out as he shifted against the other and Natsu’s grin turned predatory. 

The first kiss was nothing less than Gray expected. A smash of lips and a bit of pain as they fought more than kissed. The second was much better as they worked together and mellowed into a more gentle press of lips instead of the force from before. On the third kiss, reality set in and Gray wasn’t even sure anymore of what he was doing.

His body moved automatically as he pushed Natsu away, the other stared at him with wide eyes and cupped his face. Natsu leaned forward, and Gray pushed back harder. Natsu pulled back immediately and lifted his hands up.

“Don’t run.” Natsu whispered but Gray was rapidly losing his shit. “Hey, Princess look at me.”

“I… I—” Gray pushed off the wall and pass Natsu into the growing dusk. The fire mage turned but didn’t follow. 

* * *

Gray took deep breathes as he leaned against the door of his apartment and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. He took deep breathes as he tried to even himself out. Natsu had kissed him. Natsu had, in his own stupid way, said that he loved Gray. 

The problem was, at the end of the day, was that Gray wasn’t exactly averse to such a development. At this point, he had known with a fair amount of certainty that he was in love with that flame brained idiot but he had never expected Natsu to return said feelings. And worse, to _tell_ Gray. 

And worse! The way he had said _it._ Gray absolutely did not know how to be loved. There had to be some piece of him that was missing or broken due to Deliora or his own inadequacy. He didn’t want to explain that to Natsu and didn’t want Natsu to have to deal with his baggage.

“Open up Snowflake. You’ve never run from a dare before and I’m not about to let you start now.” The words came before the banging and Gray had to curse Natsu’s nose.

Not that he would have obviously run anywhere else. Go to Lyon or Ezra with his problems? They were like siblings but _absolutely_ not. And Natsu and feelings shouldn’t even be in the same sentence. And yet here he was. With Natsu quite literally at his door demanding to talk _feelings_.

“You can open this door Princess or I can break it down.” Natsu continued almost conversationally.

Gray is tempted to pull out his Devil Magic and coat the door with it but the problem with that idea was that Natsu isn’t stupid. He had seen Natsu come up with all kinds of crazy ideas on the fly to get past an obstacle or defeat an enemy. Although this time Gray wasn’t terribly sure of what the enemy was.

“Come on Princess.” Natsu cajoled, “I know we don’t talk feelings but it’s about time don’t you think?”

Gray growled and turned around and ripped opened the door and glared at Natsu. “You want to call a dare? Here’s a dare! Fight me and win! Then we can talk!”

It would be so much easy to throw down until they were both exhausted. He lifted up his fist and threw the first punch but Natsu caught it and used his momentum against him. When the short tussle was over they were both inside the house and Natsu was holding his hands.

“Calm down Gray.” Natsu’s voice was low and patient. The same tone that he often used with Asuka or when Happy was upset. Gray couldn’t say that he was too familiar with this tone in recent years.

At first, he hadn’t understood why Natsu had commanded as such but Gray was most certainly quaking with so many emotions he wasn’t sure of how he was feeling. The main thought in his mind was _get away_ but he had already run from Natsu once and he’d be damned if he did it again.

“It’s a stupid dare.” Gray finally pushed out but Natsu shook his head.

“It’s a damn good dare!” The silly grin that crossed his face made the taller man even more frustrated.

“It’s not! How could I even do such a thing when I don’t even love myself!” There it was out in the open but whatever reaction he had expected from his guildmate he didn’t receive.

“…to be worthy of love.” Natsu stated quietly and Gray stared at him. “You don’t have to love yourself to be loved. I’ve been in love with you forever stupid.”

“Your face is stupid.” Gray snapped back even as his face flushed and he looked away.

“You like my stupid face.” Natsu hummed as he tugged Gray forward. Gray tensed thinking that Natsu meant to initiate more contact but instead, he was pulling the ice mage towards the old couch sitting in the middle of his living room. 

“So I was talking to Lucy the other day about love and how to talk to someone about it. And she told me about positive reinforcement and being ready for things and all kinds of stuff that I guess I never thought about.”

Gray realized once again that Natsu was running at the mouth and he had missed something important. “Wait, did you talk to Lucy about me?!”

“No ice for brains! I talked to Lucy about _me_ and my issues.” Natsu growled lightly and then tapped the dark-haired man’s hand. “After the war… After almost losing you yet _again_ and E.N.D. I was tired of waiting to talk to you about this. And then I was scared of me and what I am and it was all tangled up and ugly. Feelings fucking suck Icicle.” 

“Tell me about it.” Gray grouched back but was met with another growl this one a little bit different.

Natsu was lightly tugging at his hand and this time Gray was more willing to go along as they moved closer together. The kiss was surprisingly gentle and innocent. When the Dragon Slayer pulled back Gray found that this time he still felt calm.

“See. It’s an easy dare.”


	10. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you trust me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh... This is going to sound really dumb. I did not die or forget to write... I just forgot to post!  
> So... there should be around 1~2 posts a day just so that I get this all up before I randomly forget to post again.

“Do you trust me?” Natsu asked nervously and Gray paused as he turned to look at the other man.

It was a strange question as neither of them had ever needed to put such words out into the air during quiet times. There had been times when it was need and important. At least on Gray’s end but this seemed strange and out of character.

“Of course I do.” He moved closer to the shorter male and sat down his mug. “Always have.”

“Well… Happy and I were talking about how much you get along with Frosch the other day.”

Gray cocked his head to the side, unsure of where all of this was going. For the most part, the exceeds had made their own villages and whatnot away from people. In a way, he had wanted an exceed partner. Mostly because unlike Happy or even Charla, Forsch had been so damn cute that he couldn’t help himself.

“If you have some wild scheme to bother the exceeds…”He started but Natsu shook his head furiously.

“Not at all! The last time that Happy and Charla went to visit the main settlement one of the younger ones asked if they could come to Fairy Tail. And if they decide to stay… well.”

“Ack… Natsu I’m not—”

“Just meet her?” He laid a hand over Gray’s and stopped him. “Maybe you two aren’t even compatible.”

“There is something here you aren’t telling me.” Gray flipped his hand over and gripped it as Natsu continued to lean against the bar. Natsu looked up behind him and Mira seemed to magically disappear and Natsu leaned closer.

“She does have some empathetic power and I think it could help.” He squeezed Gray’s hand before he could protest. “It might make it easy for you to have someone who can easily know when it’s a bad day.”

“You do.” Gray hissed back and Natsu gave him a meaningful look.

“How many times has Happy accidentally triggered a bad reaction Snowflake? Just trust me and meet her.” He leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “For me?”

Gray felt a smile tugging at his lips even if he didn’t want it to. As if Natsu ever needed to ask him a question like that. He pressed a kiss into Natsu’s cheek in return. “Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another 100 Year Quest inspired one. Actually, all the ones with Dahlia are vaguely 100 Year Quest inspired because I got to the part where Gray talks about wanting an Exceed partner before I gave up.
> 
> And then was like... Just go speak to one? Or ask one of the many Exceeds you know to do idk a fancy introduction? Anything other than risk your life to ask for a friend like you suddenly don't know how to make them?
> 
> Oh, I should add also I was distracted by this long!fic that I am going to start posting next month after I am done with this challenge. Please look forward to it.


	11. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where friendships start...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad to see that the idea of Dahlia went over well! She's featured in I think about 5 of these I think? I'm thinking about featuring her in another story later just cause it's kind of weird that after everything with the Exceeds there isn't a bit more? (let me not ramble about this here...)

The little Exceed that Natsu had requested Gray to meet wins his heart over almost immediately. Her fur is gray and like Charla, she is prone to wearing little dresses but her’s are much more silly and childlike. She wears a flower attached to her left ear and if he remembers correctly it’s her namesake.

Her name is Dahlia and she is a little younger than Happy and Charla. She is immediately taken with Gray as well as she flys to him almost immediately, intent on inspecting his necklace. Gray doesn’t want to admit that he wants to cuddle her the same way he did Frosch so he attempts to look put out but Natsu’s laughter lets him know how unsuccessful he is.

“Stop being so stuck up Princess!” The light tease is enough to make Gray roll his eyes.

He lifts up the necklace for the little Exceed to inspect and she starts with an embarrassed squeak when she realizes how forwards she is being and flies backward to give him some space.

“Sorry! Your necklace is just really cool. My name is Dahlia!” She is just as weirdly exuberant as any member of Fairy Tail and as she reaches out to basically hug his arm, Gray can’t help but cuddle her just a little bit.

“Gray.” He sort of gestures to himself with her already in his arms. “And I don’t mind. Little kids are always attracted to it.”

“I’m not a—” Another embarrassed squeak comes out and she looks up at him nervously.

Gray is immediately glad that he insisted on not meeting her at the guild. Natsu had warned him that she had some vague empathetic powers and he can tell by the sudden sorrowful look on her face that she is feeling rather intense emotions though he isn’t sure if it’s from him or someone else.

Natsu is next to them in an instant, curling an arm around Gray and scratching Dahlia behind her right ear. “Is something wrong?”

“Can I stay with you?!” It’s barely a question and more of a plead and Gray is almost confused. “Happy and Carla told me about you and Lucy and Ezra but—”

“Hey, calm down.” Gray gave her a little squeeze and Natsu gave them both one.

“We’re the same.” She stated firmly. And Gray wasn’t quite sure what that meant but then he remembered Charla explaining to him that one of the reasons that she wanted to leave her settlement was that she was an orphan and felt out of place.

“I’d be glad to have you as my partner.” Gray murmured as he looked over at Natsu.

The Dragon Slayer looked inordinately pleased with himself and at any other time, Gray would have been tempted to wipe that look off his face. Natsu pressed a kiss to his cheek and stepped back. “I guess Happy wins this round. I need to go and catch him a big fish.”

“You bet on our meeting?!” Dahlia looked extremely put out and Natsu shook his head.

“Not quite a bet. I thought you and Gray would probably get along but he said that Charla had seen you two instantly becoming partners and I didn’t believe him. So this is an apology for doubting Charla.”

“Hey, flame brain! Doesn’t that mean you should be getting Charla a present?” Gray protested but Natsu shook his head and kissed Gray’s forehead.

“I could do that, or I could distract Happy while Lucy picks a better gift then we could.”

“Good idea, for an idiot.” Gray teased gently and then looked down at Dahlia with a smile. “Let’s go for a walk and I’ll show you around Magnolia? We can meet up with the others at the guild for dinner.”

“Sounds good.” The little Exceed replied.

Natsu blew a kiss as he leaves them sitting along the side of the river. Natsu didn’t want to admit to being so sentimental but many of Gray’s friendships had started at this river and he thought that it was a good idea for this one to start here as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked her!


	12. Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray likes to dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am being good!

It’s not a secret that Gray loves to dance, in fact, he’s been known to do most of the dancing the few times that Fairy Tail has had to go to fancy events. He claims it has nothing to do with his heritage but a few choice people know his secret. At the Grand Magic Games he had danced with Wendy much to Juvia’s annoyance and had charmingly neglected dancing with Natsu for various reasons.

Now, it was another Grand Magic Games and he was dancing with Wendy, Dahlia perched on his head. Even across the room he can feel how Natsu’s warm gaze wanders over to him again and again. Natsu isn’t the jealous type and even then he wouldn’t’ve have been jealous of _Wendy_.

Dahlia had called it longing. Natsu didn’t often back down from a challenge, or at least Gray couldn’t remember the last time he did, and he wasn’t afraid of being embarrassed by doing well or bad at anything.

And yet somehow, dancing was his weak spot. He didn’t mind dancing at the guild or even their impromptu dances they had in their house, but in front of outsiders, he wasn’t comfortable.

And they both knew that Gray wasn’t one to push such an issue. Now though, he was surprised when Natsu gingerly cut in, gentle mostly because Wendy was involved. He even let Gray lead! Dahlia smiled and flew off, leaving them relatively alone.

“You don't have to do this you know.” Gray murmured, not even wincing when Natsu stepped on his foot.

“I want to… just this once.” The pink haired man replied as he leaned against him. “I never want to stop having firsts with you.”

“And you call me the sap.” Gray grumbled with good nature before his leaned in for a kiss.

The music changed once, maybe twice but Natsu stayed with him the whole time. It was a small present that Gray hadn’t even realized that he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that updating twice a day is probably annoying but I am trying to get as much of this out as possible. So, please bear with me.


	13. Alarm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Natsu gets alarmed...

It was hot, unbearably so, but not anything he wasn’t use to. He thought that he should relax and maybe let the fire burn on its own instead of fueling it but... But the voices he heard were vaguely familiar and he wasn’t sure if they were trying to reach him or if they were trying to _escape_. 

It was a pretty often occurrence that he turned into a raging inferno but most times he had a point and was in complete control. This time he wasn’t and he wasn’t sure why. At most he could smell blood and in the back of his mind, _Gray’s blood, a nearly fatal blow_ , and he was sure that that was an important thing.

Before him, whatever obstacle there had once been was completely gone. Burned into ash by the overwhelming strength of his flames and probably the source of all of his ire.

“Are you really this much of an amateur?” The voice was harsh and the hands even harsher. Cold slapped onto his wrists and a face, blurry in the flames flashed before him. “All these big showy flames and they aren’t even that hot.”

The dragon isn’t sure of what to say. So he stares mindlessly at the man in front of him as the flames die down. Had he done that? He didn’t think so. Once the flames are gone, the breeze that comes feels much too cool and two sets of paws land on him. To his right is a little blue cat and to his left is a little gray one.

Their faces are the perfect picture of concern.

“Natsu~” The blue one whines and everything floods back to him.

He jerks forward pulling the man, _Gray_ into his arms and frantically check him for injury. The taller man is pushing him back and the Exceeds are staring at them both in concern.

“What happened?”

“Well, the mission is complete if that’s what you are asking.” Gray’s voice was darkly sarcastic. “And Lucy is going to complain about you melting her clothes _again_ for oh… the next 3 months.”

“You were injured!” Natsu insisted as he once again checked Gray over. Earlier his stomach had literally been torn open, from the angle Natsu had been standing at it had looked bad, like life-threateningly bad.

“And thus, Wendy healed me. I’ll probably be on bed rest for a week.” Gray grumbled but his hands were now gentle on Natsu’s skin. “I’m all right Ash breath. Also, this is part of the deal remember.”

Natsu shrugged idly. And then leaned into Gray. “I’m allowed to go overboard when my friends get injured.” 

“You always go overboard Ash breath.” Gray rolled his eyes. “Sorry for scaring you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another successful update... I don't have much to say since I went out drinking...


	14. Stupid (Free Spot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray doesn't know how to ask and for Natsu, it's a foregone conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and now so more Dahlia. I think this is the last one with her sadly...

As much as it pains him to admit, Gray finally gives in and admits that Natsu had a good idea. It isn’t that he thought that meeting Dahlia would be a bad idea. It's that Natsu had come up with it and had encouraged him to meet her. Usually, Natsu’s ideas come with a multitude of problems.

Instead the little Exceed slots into their life almost as if she had always belonged. She schemes with Carla and annoys Happy. She occasionally chases off Juvia and attempts to spar with Pantherlily. She is also extremely bad at it. She’s a charming handful and sharply perceptive.

Gray might love her more than he loves Natsu and that’s saying a lot. She is also a thorn in Gray’s side when he is trying to fall into old habits. Which is why he is standing behind the guild facing off with the tiny Exceed. He had had the idea, oh three months ago, that it might be time for him and Natsu to take another step in their relationship.

And then had immediately shut it down. Even now, it’s hard for him to believe that he’s allowed to be with Natsu. That he is allowed to be happy. Even at the end of the war, he had thought, in many ways, that he had only been saving time to die later. If he takes on this next step with Natsu he is admitting to a lot of things.

Such as the desire to _live_ , something he isn’t sure he’s allowed to have. 

Dahlia has her hands on her hips and an even sharper look in her eyes than even Charla can achieve. Gray knows he’s about to be dressed down and he’s not about to take it.

“I need to go on a mission.” He turns to leave but Dahlia fights dirty.

She flys past him into the guild and while Gray had thought she’d go to Erza or even Mira to stop him from taking a mission, instead, she goes to Lucy. Which might be Gray’s worse nightmare. It takes nothing more than a few words for the celestial mage to be standing, a flash of light for Loke to now be in on it.

And then the door burst opens to permit Natsu. He is so _screwed_.

* * *

“Are you really this stressed about asking me to move in?” Natsu asked when the rest of the guild is done torturing him and they are sitting out by the river. “I’ve only been half living with you for like six months.”

“But this is official.” Gray tugged his own hair lightly and wished fervently that the Exceeds were there to provide a distraction.

“This isn’t about that is it?” Natsu asked, his voice soft and solemn. Natsu could take a lot, emotionally as well as physically but Gray never wanted to be the once to push his emotional limits. Not that his own stupid brain was giving him a choice.

“Are you happy with me?” Gray bites out, it’s not a response to what Natsu asked, but it is the question that has been burning in Gray’s gut for nearly a year now.

“Stupid.” Natsu spits back, staring at him with a rather grim understanding. “Stupid ice for brains. If I weren’t happy do you think I would stay? Do you think I would spend at least half my time in Magnolia at your tiny apartment with your shitty shower and that pathetic thing you call a stove?”

“Hey! My apartment isn’t that bad!” Gray punched Natsu hard in the arm and the smaller man laughed.

“Yes, it is. Cause your landlord’s a shit. Lucy’s apartment is far superior. If you want me to move in with you, you better find a decent place. One the Exceeds like too. Or I won’t do it.”

“I… Wha?” Gray is confused, he can’t tell if they are talking to each other or past each other at this point.

Natsu reaches out and takes his hand before turning back to look at the river. “I’ve known you since you were eight stupid. I also know all of your hang-ups and the things you fear the most. You make me so happy Gray. This life together, this adventure. It’s the best.”

Gray felt as if his tongue had swelled in his mouth and no words seem to be able to from. Natsu had never given him such a straightforward confession before. Another reassuring squeeze and Natsu continued talking.

“I don’t care what stupid lies your brain is telling you this week… Or even what it might try to tell you next. You deserve to live and you deserve love. And I know you know that. It’s why you joined Fairy Tail and it’s why you are always ready to do anything for us. All of us. And that’s why I’ll make sure you don’t do anything stupid… stupid.”


	15. Winter, Summer, Fall, Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A love story about idiots in four parts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put all of these prompts together mostly because they are meant to follow each other. Sooo sorry guys, one long-ass post today.
> 
> *I realize that this is kind of weird because it more follows their story than the actual change of seasons but oh wellllllllllll

**Winter**

Gray falls in love in winter. It’s a kind of fitting as the sky is oddly clear in Magnolia during winter and Gray always feels rather nostalgic and at ease during this time. He first falls in like with Natsu and immediately falls into deep resistance to it at 15 years old.

After all, Natsu is sometimes too much. Too loud, too excited and that damn Exceed is just as excitable. If Gray were as honest and blunt as his other guildmates thought, he’d walk over to Natsu, consequences be damned, and tell him exactly how he felt.

No, Gray is not brave when it comes to emotions and so he spends the winter inciting fights and thinks that the feeling will go away.

* * *

Lucy’s first winter in Magnolia is surprising and a little painful for Gray. Natsu and Lucy get along like a house on fire and it makes Gray feel strange. It’s then that the realizes he still has feelings for Natsu and that they haven’t even weakened. At first, he puts them out of his mind. He won’t let them ruin the friendship he has with Lucy.

After all, she’s great and an important member of the team. Gray has no time to waste hating people that aren’t Delioria or Lyon’s punkass and so he lets it go.

* * *

It is Gray’s first winter after the guild has disbanded. He hates every second of it. Juvia had followed him to the village that he had chosen to live and train in. Part of him wishes she would go away. 

He doesn’t have the heart to actually say it.

He spends his days training and moping about Natsu, while Juvia dogs his steps happily trying to act like she is his wife. He tries to discourage her but he has learned that Juvia will never actually listen to the things that he says. She is too far into her fantasy life and he is in too deep with his feelings for Natsu to even think about reciprocating.

* * *

Gray has deeply underestimated what the war has taken from him. He has a particular itch under his skin that leaves him feeling uncomfortable at best and sometimes the scar from when he fought Invel turns into a deeper itch.

They are on a new quest, on a new continent. He hadn’t been able to resist Natsu’s idea of taking the long quest. It could be exciting, it could be deadly but getting out of Fiore had sounded like a good idea at the time. Sure he loved and cared about his guild but Natsu, Lucy, Ezra, Wendy, Happy and Carla were family in the deepest sense.

And then his heart just had to remind him of just how much he was head over heels for idiots with pink hair.

* * *

**Summer**

Natsu falls in like in Summer. Okay, that sounds really dumb when he tries to think it out loud but Lucy says idiots don’t know how to be embarrassed so he says it to her almost immediately after her first few days in the guild.

It’s a hot August day and he is laying around her house without Happy nearby, which is probably why he told her. He doesn’t think he needs to keep secrets from Lucy but Happy’s mouth sometimes has a hair-trigger and he needs to be careful with how he delivers emotional information to his partner.

“What?” Lucy is staring at him with wide eyes and he prepares for the worst but what he gets instead is probably more chaotic. “So! You are rivals because of the whole ice/fire thing but really secretly in love?! Does Gray feel the same way? Are you hiding it from the guild? I mean I know you fought at first during the Eisenwald Guild thing but you fought together a little too well and—”

“Lucy!” Natsu waved his hands frantically. When she didn’t exit her dreamworld he went for the underhanded tactic. “Luigi calm down.”

“It’s Lucy!” She snapped and then paused and looked at him. “You haven’t told him.”

“I… just don’t feel like it.” Natsu grouched. 

“…I have literally known you for one month and have watched you take on slavers, a dark guild, a demon from the book of Zeref and now you are telling me that you can’t talk feelings to the boy you like.” Lucy rolled over and looked at him carefully. “You’re in love with Gray.”

“I am not, I just admire his abilities.”

“More like his abs.” She snickered under her breath.

“I heard that.” He snorted, she wasn’t exactly wrong.

“You were supposed to idiot.” She flopped over onto her back. “So when are you going to tell him?”

“What?”

“What?” She looked at him again.

“Never!” He shouted. “It’s a stupid crush and it’ll go away.”

Lucy’s glare was so strong that Natsu could practically feel how unimpressed she was. He swallowed hard. He tried to think of a way of explaining it without talking about his own fears and then just shrugged.

“You’ve seen how we act. There’s no way he likes me.”

“Natsu!” Lucy threw her hands up with aggravation. “Why are boys so bad with feelings?!”

* * *

**Fall**

It is Fall when Natsu confesses to Gray. And if the Dragon Slayer were to admit it to anyone, it was a really dumb confession. The Devil Slayer looks completely startled and Natsu can feel dread sinking into his stomach.

This was a bad idea, he had been so rattled by Juvia showing up and with the new gentle way that Gray treated her, he had been afraid that he’d missed his chance. The chance that he had wanted to give up before they took this mission. And yet here he was running at the mouth when he and Gray were just supposed to be drinking and relaxing.

“Why am I so in love with you?” Natsu had let slip.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, really?” The taller boy finally spoke. “I have legit been trying to get over you for years and now you confess!”

Natsu feels something dislodge in his brain and feels his mouth drop open. Gray has launched into a rant, one for the ages. He name drops Juvia and Lucy a few times but Natsu is too incredibly shocked to even being to understand what the Ice Mage is saying.

“Natsu, wake your dumbass up.” Gray is suddenly in front of him but even though the words are harsh the tone is gentle.

“I-I thought…” Natsu is trembling and he realizes that maybe he had issues he hadn’t really addressed yet. He had been so sure that Gray was just going to leave, head back to the inn and pretend this never happened. He had _doubted_ another in a way he hadn’t done in a long time.

“You thought I would leave didn’t you?” Gray’s smile is tiny and nervous but he taps Natsu’s forehead with two fingers in the same way he sometimes taps the girls’ when he’s about to say something sweet. “Even if I didn’t feel the same way I wouldn’t leave. No one deserves to feel abandoned.”

Natsu wants to scowl and protest such treatment but instead finds himself blushing. He had thought that if Gray had ever did that to him it would feel demeaning but instead, it feels gentle. Gray isn’t good with touch that isn’t mildly combative but he’s trying and Natsu feels warm.

“I… I just… never thought you’d feel the same way. Lucy was always hounding me to confess but—”

“Holy fuck.” Gray eyes widen and then they fall shut as he starts laughing almost uncontrollably. Natsu feels a little put out, but Gray is gripping his arms to keep from falling over and then he’s starting to calm down but looks at Natsu’s face and loses it all over again. “Lu-Lucy has been playing both sides.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Now Natsu was really confused.

“After Avatar… Lucy and I had a heart to heart… I uh, really felt bad about the things I had said. She kind of confronted me over ‘leading Juvia on’ and I burst out with well… Everything.”

“She’s terrible at playing matchmaker then.” Natsu grumbled finally cracking a smile and Gray shook his head.

“She promised me not to interfere. I had been so sure that you didn’t like me but she talked a lot about bravery and some shit.”

“Oh… you got that rant too? Natsu tapped Gray’s hand and was surprised when the other flipped his hand and gripped his. This was a very different side of Gray. He was usually only kind of touchy-feely with Lucy and Wendy.

“Her heart’s in the right place.” Gray squeezed his hand.

“But Juvia?!” Natsu is grasping at straws now. If Gray and him become close there is a chance that Gray could leave. After all, others had left.

“… have you forgotten that she stalks me and never listens to a damn thing I say?” Gray turned to look at Natsu. “Do you remember when she tried to make me spank her ass in front of the guild, or tried to spell me into confessing love for her? Or when she forcibly tried to act like my fucking wife and would sneak into my bed and try to kiss me.”

Natsu paused and then looked down at his toes in guilt. “Sorry, Snowflake I shouldn’t have said that.”

Gray shifted closer, squeezing the warm brown hand trapped in his own. He opened his mouth to say something and then shut his mouth and looked back out over the hill they had scoped out to sit on and watch the setting sun. They didn’t often sit together this long without fighting: jokingly or otherwise.

Fortunately for Gray, Natsu wasn’t one for sitting quietly for long. The pink-haired man turned towards him with a sunny smile.

“You do realize that I’m not giving up my joy of annoying the shit out of you, right?” It took a moment for Gray to register the comment and he snatched his hand from Natsu’s in an attempt to smack him.

Natsu dodged easily and used the move to get into Gray’s space. They both paused and stared at each other with wide eyes. Gray moved first, pressing their lips together and Natsu made a happy noise in response leaning into the taller young man.

At some point, they became overbalanced and fall over but neither stop the soft quiet kisses. After a moment, Natsu lifted up and stared down at him gently. And in that moment Natsu thinks that maybe fall is his favorite season.

* * *

**Spring**

The spring is a time that is usually a good time for Natsu as the weather is not only good but he doesn’t have to listen to Lucy complain about the weather for most of the missions they choose to go on. Right now though, the missions coming in are mostly small so Erza and Gray aren’t really in the mix at all.

He doesn’t want to admit it, because it sounds mopey and not really like him but he misses Gray. He misses fighting with Gray. Training together or even fighting each other is a great pastime but fighting with him is something he truly enjoys.

It helps that Gray is a Slayer now and has all the same weird urges to sniff each other or mark each other's space. It doesn’t help that Gray prefers to take missions by himself and never thinks to pick missions where they can team up. Gray is more conscious of the damage they cause together and right now he is in money-saving mode for _reasons_ that he hasn’t explained.

“You are positively glum!” Lucy suddenly chortled and he and Happy turned to look at her.

“What?” They both asked, cocking their heads to the side and then looking at each other. Lucy and Lisanna took great joy in replacing simple words with harder ones to annoy him and he was honestly not in the mood.

Sensing that Lucy changed her tone. “You miss Gray, don’t you?”

“Hah? Who’d miss a moody popsicle?” He grouched with an eye roll.

Lucy laughed and moved to walk beside him and linked their arms together. She tilted her head to look over at him and then at Happy flying beside him.

“I noticed recently that Gray has been taking a lot of high paying solo jobs.” She commented idly. “Should I be worried?”

“Should I be worried?” Natsu countered with another eye roll. “He hasn’t said anything to me… Most jobs right now don’t seem to need a bigger group anyway.”

“I mean… I don’t enjoy certain death missions but… oh!” Lucy jumped slightly and then smiled. “I guess you'll have to ask him.”

Natsu grouched and shook Lucy off so that he could put on his most put-off look. “Ask him what? Why he’s working? Why should I care if the Ice Princess wants to work more?”

Lucy had started to laugh during his rant, it was so easy to get him riled up when the other was involved. Natsu glowered at her but, that only caused her laughter to increase in volume. He was about to continue his rant when a familiar scent filled his nose.

“Was Gray due back today?” He asked as he turned to look behind him.

“Probably?” Lucy looked at him in confusion but Natsu was walking back the way they came and there he found Gray cresting one of the low hills that led into Magnolia.

Gray lifted a hand and waved him, he was shirtless which wasn’t uncommon for the Ice Wizard and Dahlia was floating around his head. Neither of them looked worse for wear but Natsu found himself moving rather quickly towards him.

Gray chuckled under his breath as Natsu approached, he braced himself. With Natsu, it could either be with affection or with violence and he never knew which it was. This time it was affection as he wrapped the taller man almost carefully into his arms.

“Hey, snowflake.” His breath was warm like always and the cinnamon and campfire smell seemed to intensify. 

“I missed you, ash face.” Gray stated happily as he squeezed Natsu and leaned into him. “I should probably take a break.”

“Why are you working so hard anyways?” Natsu cursed his mouth, Lucy had put the thought to ask in his head and of course, he immediately did it.

He thought he knew exactly what kind of answer he was going to receive but Gray had gone all shy and contemplative on him. The Dragon Slayer pulled back and looked at his lover with concern. It hadn’t seemed like a difficult thing but Gray was stubbornly looking away from him towards where Dahlia had gone to meet up with the others.

Natsu was itching to say something more but Gray squeezed him and than spoke. “Don’t take this the wrong way but I decided to move into a bigger place.”

“What?” Natsu pulled back and resisted the urge to make a crude joke at the light blush that spread across the Ice Devil’s face.

“N-not for us to live together!” Gray stuttered and rocked back on to his heels as he pulled apart so that they were just holding hands. “Just… when we spend the night at each other places it’s so cramped. I think we do still need our own private space but…”

“Nah, I get it.” Natsu shrugged idly. His house with Happy was barely three rooms and Gray’s apartment inside the city was too. “So you’re taking all these missions to buy a new place?”

“There’s a place that’s a two-bedroom with a nice size kitchen, living room…” Gray flushed slightly, “…and a rather large bathtub.”

Part of Natsu thought that was a place that was too big to live alone in but he realized idly that Gray meant it when he said a place for Natsu and Happy to come over anytime. Hell, even other members of their team would be able to come over. He realized that Gray had thought this through carefully.

“Sounds expensive.” He stated instead as he tugged Gray to walk with him towards the others.

“…I mean I do intend to buy it outright.” Gray stated, “I don’t want to be like Lucy.”

Natsu nodded in agreement. As they reached the others, he thought about the new beginning that Gray most likely thought this was too. Maybe they weren’t ready to live together, but they were ready to share each other's space. He kissed Gray’s cheek after they sat down with Lucy and the Exceeds. It was a warm spring day and another wonderful beginning that he could share with his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...just a reminder... I have no idea what I am doing~


	16. Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What exactly does Natsu's scarf mean to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got away from me... but it came back so I guess that's good...

When he had gained his powers from his father and had made his way back, he sadly didn’t receive powers of teleportation… that apparently had nothing to do with Devil Slayer powers.

Now, he finds himself wandering through Plutogrim looking for the fight, so to speak and finds a rather curious bit of loot. Stacked among what looks to be clothes and other useless effects he recognizes what definitely could be part of Natsu’s signature outfit and upon closer inspection, he sees the scaly scarf.

Gray is only about 99.9% sure that Natsu would kill someone over his scarf. And honestly, that slim .1% is merely the number of people that he trusts to get it back to him. Which he isn’t very sure that _he_ is included in that number. Either way, at this point in time it falls to him to return it and so he scoops it up and continues on his search.

As he carries it, he realizes that he can only think of a handful of times that it wasn’t on Natsu’s person. After all, while the Dragon Slayer always wears it, it is not always around his neck. Often times it is tied around his head or his waist if they are at the beach.

One hilarious time, Gray had even managed to convince him to wrap it around his arms like a shawl before he had tied the ends together. Gray had had a lot of good times pranking Natsu with his scarf. As long as one didn’t try to take it off, he was pretty amicable about people touching it.

And yet here he was fighting a battle without it. For Gray, it was a little sad to think about that as he clutched it tighter in his hand. While he was well known for losing his clothes, he had things that he never lost. His necklace for one and Natsu’s scarf would defiantly be the other one.

When he finally reached the sight of the final battle, he found Mard Geer and his ridiculous attack of a giant flower. He froze the stupid thing solid and willed his frustration down. Approaching Natsu he dropped the scarf around him, figuring that that was more important to hand it over quickly then to talk.

“What? This is my scarf?” Natsu asked as he immediately grabbed it with both hands.

“I found it laying around… if it’s that important to you, then don’t let it get away!”

* * *

Natsu sat with the scarf between his hands, hands gently feeling over the material. It had been six months since the war with The Alveraz Empire and he was still trying to sort himself out over those events and many others. He had heard that Lucy had been the one to rewrite his book and that Gray had pulled the demon energy out of her.

Gray who was always so willing to sacrifice himself for others and Lucy who had far too much heart. He’d be forever grateful to them. But in times like this, when the weight of the world was pressing down on him, he would think of Igneel’s sacrifice and it always filled him with guilt.

Gray had talked about that once, how even though others see the good and the reason for what they are giving up, that it doesn’t stop the guilt. In many ways, he and Lyon were Ur’s wish to see children grow up. And yet Gray often still feels that he killed her and not Deliora’s unending rampage.

It’s a difficult weight to bear, to know that Igneel’s final wish and desire was to sacrifice himself for Natsu. Even if a father would always give up everything for their son. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed the scarf to his face. At a time like this, he really needed Igneel’s advice and wisdom. Even if the other slayers claimed that it was always Ms. Anna they went to for advice he found that he couldn’t not for this.

Who could he possibly tell that he was _in love with Gray and wouldn’t laugh or make a big deal about it? The number of people, he was sure, was no one. And heaven forbid Happy ever realize it. All of Magnolia would know about it by sundown._

“Natsu?” He looked up to see Lisanna looking at him.

At first, he wanted to be surprised that she found him, but this is where they did take care of Happy’s egg. She moved over and sat down beside him, not touching but looking in the same direction.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked quietly and he shrugged idly.

“About Gray?” She asked quietly and nudged his shoulder. “Isn’t it about time you told him?”

* * *

Gray had once thought that Natsu’s scarf was permanently a part of him. Something that he couldn’t be without. Even now, when outside of the house he can only think of a handful of times that Natsu didn’t have it on his person. He found out that at home Natsu was much different.

At home, the scarf could be found anywhere as long as Natsu was home. In the bed, on the couch. Once, Natsu had carefully draped it around Happy’s sleeping form as a form of comfort when the little exceed was having a nightmare.

Gray wondered if this meant that this was a place that Natsu felt safe in. Or if it was just the Dragon Slayer growing up. When they were kids it had made sense that the scarf was some sort of security blanket.

Now though, as Natsu carefully weaved the scarf around Gray’s neck, the Devil Slayer a shaking mess after a horrible nightmare he realized that maybe the scarf wasn’t exactly what he thought it was. Naturally, a dragon had scales to protect their bodies. And Natsu welded his scarf as a promise of protection.

A banner around his neck during a tough battle. A gentle flowing flag in quiet moments between their team. A raging triumphant marker within their guild. Or a quiet blanket within their home. And silently to himself, Gray promised that he would always make sure that Natsu had it.


	17. Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: After a bad night, a warm cup of coffee between friends...

Gray has been up since 4 am and he is not in the mood to deal with others. As he goes through the steps to open the coffee shop, he is thinking of interesting ways to kill his brother and ignoring the voice of reason, it sounds like his mother, about how he shouldn’t be so mean.

The first pull of espresso smells good but looks bad and he moves to adjust the machine and is suddenly irrationally worried the machine is broken. As he contemplates who would be worse to call his mother or Ur, the machine gives him a smooth shot that he immediately throws back.

It’s Saturday morning so he is opening alone and although usually a morning person he desperately wants to go back home and go to sleep. Once everything is in place he moves towards the door to unlock it only to see a familiar head of pink hair.

“What are you doing out here, torch?” Gray asked as he moved towards the other young man.

“Couldn’t sleep.” Natsu looks haggard and as Gray gestures him to come in, speaks again. “But the shop isn’t—”

“The bosses have a soft spot for me.” Gray waved his concern away and directed Natsu to the counter as he moved back into the employees’ space.

Natsu fell quiet and watched as Gray worked for a few minutes. “You aren’t going to ask?”

Gray shrugged idly as he moved back and forth. At first Natsu had thought he was setting up, but actually Gray was making a drink. When he was finished, a mug with a carefully crafted dragon formed in the foam was sat in front of him.

“Anyone can have a bad morning.” He placed a kiss on Natsu’s unshaven cheek. “Peppermint since the season has changed.”

Natsu flushed, even though there was no one to see it. He was hesitant to take a sip of the latte and ruin it but decided that a picture would suffice. After struggling with his phone for a few moments he took a picture of it and then savored the first warm sip.

When he finally looked up, Gray had a mug in his own hand, probably a strong americano or a red-eye like Cana as he approached the counter again.

“You working today, torch?”

“I don't even like the Fantastic Four.” Natsu grumbled as he shook his head. “Uncle Igneel and Larcade are running it today.”

“No Cana today?” Gray asked as he finally set up the till, and Natsu moved to grab his wallet. “Not for that one, you can have one of my free drinks.”

“She’s taking a getaway weekend with her girlfriend.”

“…I thought she had a boyfriend?” Gray shut the till and turned to Natsu with a bit of confusion and Natsu laughed.

“She has both. It drives Guildarts crazy.”

“Your whole family drives me crazy.” Gray shook his head.

“It’s not that difficult. Igneel is my adopted father. Zeref is my brother with his wife Mavis and those weird twins Larcade and August.”

“Those names don’t even make sense!” Gray injected.

“And then Gildarts fostered me for a couple of years when Igneel had to go fight in that war.” Natsu shrugged and then tilted his head. “Plus… I mean your family isn't normal either.”

Gray shrugged idly. His parent’s relationship with Ur was mostly their business and even if he did inadvertently cause their meeting, he didn’t need all the details. Even his stepbrother and sister were pretty much on the same note about it.

“Feel better?” He asked as he leaned over the counter to kiss Natsu again. He knew his parents would get mad at him for so much PDA in the cafe during working hours but there were no customers and kissing Natsu was important.

“Yeah…” Natsu gave a thin smile, spending time with Gray and talking about his ridiculous family was always good on bad nights. “I don’t even remember when my parents died…”

“It’s okay to have nightmares.” Gray stated quietly, trying very hard not to think about his own set of bad memories. “Now, if you want any more coffee, you’ll have to pay.”

Natsu looked down into his empty cup in surprise. He hadn’t even realized that he finished his cup. With a small smile, he dug in his pocket for a couple of bills.

“Surprise me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... this tried desperately to be a longer fic. And it might be one day~ I rather like the idea of Igneel and Natsu running a comic shop while Gray works at Ur's coffee shop.


	18. Precious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes everyone needs to yell at Gray. He just doesn't listen well.
> 
> After all, he is their precious teammate.

Natsu wished for just one moment that Gray could treat his body as preciously as he treated everything else He was sure that at one point the other man would cut off a limb to save a friend while he would definitely not allow another friend to do such a thing.

He had watched or heard of Gray several times either cutting himself on purpose or allowing for other serious injuries to help others but if you tried to save him that would never be allowed.

Although he was also at fault for this. His way of saving Gray usually involved hitting the other wizard or worse but then again he hit everyone so that should be excused.

Right now, Gray was once again all bandaged up, and had there been all that many battles where that _didn’t_ happen?! He was wrapped up in bandages leaning against a table and talking quietly with Wendy who was attempting to convince him to let her heal him.

“It’s fine. I would rather deal with the pain then have you waste your magic over trivial wounds.” His words were meant to be reassuring but they definitely had the opposite effect. Old enough to not resort to such childish antics Wendy still puffed her cheeks and glared at him before her hands started glowing.

“I am the healer and I decided who needs healing.” She scolded him as she healed his ribs and any other internal damage that he wasn’t reporting. “No wonder Porlyusica is always yelling at you!”

“That witch hates everyone.” Gray whined, gently trying to deflect the younger mage and failing. Gray was bound to say something else but Wendy cut across him, her face serious.

“Something is wrong.” She whispered as she shifted his bandages. At this point, Natsu could no longer pretend that he wasn’t interested in what was going on. He jumped out of his seat, startling Lucy mid-sentence and headed over to where the other two were sitting.

“What’s up?” He casually leaned over the table but Wendy and Gray both knew he meant business.

“Nothing for a nosy dragon to concern himself with.” Gray grouched and turn away from him.

“I’m not sure.” Wendy admitted. “It seems like internal damage.”

At that Gray flushed slightly and tried very hard to not look around the guild in case he was betrayed by own actions but Natsu was already thinking. During the battle with the dark guild, Gray had been teamed up with Juvia as was a common occurrence now that the water mage had calmed down.

“It’s not damage… well, not quite.” Gray spoke before either could move to head towards another angle. “It's temporary, I often use my ice to coat my wounds and a rib or two is probably misaligned.”

Wendy raised an eyebrow and looked at Natsu but he could only look back at her. It was true that often Gray fractured his ribs during some of his more arduous battles but he always seemed to come out fine on the other side with just a few bandages.

“So you aren’t willing to let Wendy look at it?” Natsu’s tone was almost frosty which was unusual for the fire mage.

“I know enough about how to break them again and realign them.” Gray shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, hoping to be let off the hook but he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“You’d go through all that extra pain for no reason!” Wendy gasped with indignation.

Natsu on the other hand as he was wont to do, simply picked Gray up and headed towards the infirmary. “Wendy go get Erza. I think someone needs a long lecture about personal care.”

Wendy nodded and turned to go find the requip mage. On the other hand, a shell shocked Gray simply laid numbly in Natsu’s arms for that moment before he burst into movement.

“Put me down flame brain! Don’t make me ice you.” Natsu shifted him carefully.

“I swear my voice never reaches you, ice for brains. If you still can’t realize how precious you are. How precious _all_ of you is to me then I’ll have to resort to a new method. Come on Lucy! I’m sure you have a few choice words to say too.” Natsu spoke the last part loud enough for others to hear.

Gray stopped struggling with a deep blush on his face. He knew that the other slayers in the guild had heard exactly what Natsu had said. It was nightfall by the time his team was done chewing his ass out but by the end, there was something soft in his eyes.

As the two slayers walked home together, Natsu reached out and took the Devil Slayer’s hand. “I’ll say it as many times as you need to hear it stupid. As loud or as soft as I want.”

Gray rolled his eyes in annoyance but squeezed Natsu’s hand back anyways. It wasn’t like he could stop Natsu from doing what he wanted. And he was _trying_ but what the heart knew, sometimes the mind couldn’t understand. Unfortunately, Natsu was probably too much of an idiot to want to listen to that.

“You are so precious to me Gray.” Natsu stopped him from walking for a second and turned to face him. “Even when it doesn’t seem like the truth… I need you to keep believing that… to keep believing in me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... Yeah, I'm not sure if I like this one. I didn't check my notes on injury and recovery well... But well, I imagine that considering he's always in bandages that there is probably a lot of internal damage that Gray just causally ignores.
> 
> Although this could go for every Fairy Tail member me thinks...


	19. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would you do for love? How would the one you love see it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually a two part but I thought I’d leave it in 2 parts...

_If you love something then you must be willing to let it go, if it comes back, then it loves you too._

Gray was sure that he was misremembering the quote, also he was sure that he was doing it wrong anyways. After everything with Tartaros and the pain that each of them had endured, he had let Natsu go. He had known in his heart that Natsu was going to leave and didn’t even say anything when he had only told Lucy.

It was as if their relationship had meant nothing, was nothing. It was probably better that way. If it had been Natsu’s way of ending things with him, then he hadn’t wanted a messy confrontation. Let Lucy be the one that held his keys to his heart and mind then. She was obviously good at that.

Natsu had come back to him though. After a year apart and the mess that had been Avatar, Natsu had come and taken his hand again and had admitted that he had been scared. That he had had to go and find out what strength really meant for him.

Gray had welcomed him back eagerly. And now he had to let Natsu go again. He had been ready to killed E.N.D. And on that battlefield he had attacked Natsu without care that beneath the anger had been someone he loved and cherished.

And so he let Natsu go again. This time though, Gray wouldn’t be around anymore to know if Natsu would come back to him a second time. The walk to the guild hall was longer than he wanted to admit. His injuries were grave after the fight with Invel and then the subsequent fight with Natsu. None of the injuries hurt as much as his heart did.

As he walked, he thought of all the time he had spent with Natsu, the precious few times that he had said “I love you.” It was laughable that his love still after all these years could cause nothing but problems. His parents, Ur, and Urtear. Others had always been willing to give up everything for him and he never returned the favor.

This time though, as he pressed his hands to the gates, would be different. Ice Shell caused so much pain, to him and to Lyon. To Urtear as well even if she would never admit it. He had learned the spell because he had had his concerns over whether the magic his father had given him would be enough.

Lost Iced Shell would allow him to give back but would also remove the pain that he had always given others. The guild would get a new beginning as it always did. Ezra and Lucy would still be able to hold them all together, this he knew. And Natsu… Natsu wouldn’t have to feel that all encompassing pain again. Gray couldn’t bare to cause Natsu even a tenth of the pain he felt when Igneel passed.

“Hey, you’re sittin’ in my seat.”

* * *

Fear and panic crashed into Natsu’s ribs as he stared around the room. Everything was back in place and yet the most important person was already gone. Gray had left them there, and he knew the taller man’s track record.

He was on his feet within seconds. He hastily explained to Lucy and other others about his changed circumstances but he knew that he had to get to his lover. If he even deserved to call himself that anymore. Lucy and Happy were hot on his heels, he almost wanted to turn around and kiss them. He couldn’t have asked for a better best friends.

He had so many apologies to make when all this is over, but Gray was most important right now. He had no way of knowing what the other would do to himself with the guilt that was probably coursing through his veins. He knew why Gray had left without a word. It was his way of saying ‘goodbye.’

And Natsu couldn’t let Gray do that. He had once told Lucy that Gray was a man that Fairy Tail couldn’t do without. She had seen right through him though. Gray was a man that _Natsu_ couldn’t do without. 

Gray had let Natsu go and Natsu had come back, but Gray had patience whether he wanted to admit it or not. And Natsu didn’t. If Gray left Natsu would always give chase. It was how he was. And if Gray didnt’ realize that during the whole mess with Avatar, then Natsu would just have to make sure he realized it now.

_Hey Gray, you and I are friends right? I know it hurts but you can’t give up. I love you so much. _.__


	20. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of a choice almost taken...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just posted them back to back to make my life easier....

It’s such a shock for Gray to be faced with Natsu now. After everything with Zeref and the aftermath. He had expected Natsu to carry on as they always did and ignore all of the unspoken words between them. Unfortunately, that seemed not to be the case. Natsu is a hot presence, stalking behind him as Gray leaves the guild for the night.

He is telegraphing his presence to Gray and the Devil Slayer feels it loud and clear. It’s an overdue conversation and it’s one that Gray will never be prepared to have.

He had learned Lost Ice Shell as a last resort. He hadn’t intended on using it unless he couldn’t find a way to defeat E.N.D. but after finding out that it was something that could be defeated. A book that had helped to preserve Natsu’s life… He had abandoned it. At least until he realized that killing Zeref would very well kill Natsu.

He knew for a fact that Natsu hadn’t heard his speech to Zeref. If he had the idiot would have approached him earlier about this and probably would have wrecked Gray’s shit. Instead the other is following him and Gray doesn’t want to do this confrontation at the river so he doesn’t waver in his path towards home.

In the last block, Natsu falls into step beside him.

“You really did try to die… Didn’t you?” The younger? older? man asks and Gray shrugs helplessly.

“What answer would you prefer?” Gray asked finally and can practically feel Natsu rolling his eyes.

“I want the real one.” The Dragon Slayer settles on and Gray sighs.

“I… I’m not sure I can tell you.” Is what Gray chooses to say. “I spent around a decade living my life to the fullest within Fairy Tail waiting for the day when I would have to pay for what I did up north. I taught myself Ice Shell after all was said and done because I thought it was a fitting way to die.”

“And against Zeref?” Natsu asks and Gray wants to recoil. A patient Natsu isn’t actually that strange when it’s a very small group of people. After all, he raised Happy mostly by himself and trained methodically nearly every day.

“I… I fought you with intent to kill. If I had… managed such a thing I wouldn’t be able to call myself a Fairy Tail wizard.” That confession was pretty easy to make, there were few things that truly defined a wizard of Fairy Tail but that was definitely one of them.

“Then shouldn’t we leave Fairy Tail together?” Natsu’s comment was logical but Gray couldn’t decide if he didn’t know or was purposefully being dense. At this age… for Gray to leave Fairy Tail death would have to be involved. After all, where else could Gray go?

“I…” The words were stuck his throat. How did Gray explain that he _wanted_ to die but also _wanted_ to live? “I don’t want you to die.”

“Leaving Fairy Tail doesn’t mean death.” Natsu pointed out and by this time they were at Gray’s door but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to let the fire mage into his home. They stood their awkwardly for a few moments and finally Natsu sighed. “Ever since I met you… you were always chasing something. I thought it was to be the best mage or the best maker mage at least. I always thought you were shining as brightly as the sun on your ice.”

“And then with Delioria, I realized that it was death that you were chasing. It’s always been a constant in the back of my mind. How will Gray take on this enemy? Will he see the only path to victory involving self-sacrifice? After Avatar you were so bright and so determined. I thought things had changed.”

Gray swallowed, it was now or never he guessed.

“They did. I would defeat E.N.D. and together we would defeat Zeref. It had been a great dream and then I realized that to do that you had to die… And I couldn't do it. Not you.” Gray finally gave in and kissed Natsu gently. “Our fight… that felt like my greatest betrayal. I wanted to _escape_ myself.”

“And you thought death was the only answer.”

“The spell I was going to perform is worse.” Natsu is the smaller of the two, but Gray has a way of tucking himself into the pink haired man that makes it easy for Natsu to wrap around him. “I used my time in Avatar to research Lost Magic. You wouldn’t have even been able to mourn me.”

Gray didn’t need to see Natsu’s face to know that it had twisted into something ugly. The arms that were wrapped around him gently, tightened almost painfully so. He wasn’t surprised. Time had removed some of the immediacy of it, not only had Gray been aiming to die, he wouldn’t have even left anything for his family to mourn… or to celebrate.

“I can’t let you out of my sight ever. Next time I decide to go on a long training journey you’ll just have to go with me. If I leave you alone too long you’ll just find more creative ways to die.”

“That’s not—” A squeeze cut him off.

“Can’t change my mind Ice Princess. You are stuck with me.” Natsu kissed his head.”One of these days… I’ll teach you how to live.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I did these two well? Like i have my own issues with the arc but I can appreciate that Mashima is not the best and setting up and making an ending.
> 
> But that gives me more to play with tbh~


	21. Hate & Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Gray feels it hate, Natsu wants him to live

As Gray stares up at the entity before him, he isn’t sure of what he feels. Is it hate? Is it fear? He finds that inside him its mostly different emotions that could all be described as hate and anger. This monster before him has destroyed not just his family, but his entire village. And the lost boy behind him as well. Lyon’s little more than an idiot, just as much trapped in the past as he is. 

After all, that stupid boy thinks that he can defeat Delioria. Lyon has always thought that he could do the impossible without actually thinking about his abilities and his limitations. In that way he and Natsu are similar. The difference is… is that Natsu has surpassed his limits.

Gray, even without asking knows that Lyon hasn’t. As long as he flamboyantly uses that one-handed style, he will never surpass a true maker mage. He only thinks that he has surpassed Gray.

As he tries to quell the anger within him, searching for that cold, almost dead state that he usually fights in, he wonders if it’s worth it? Wouldn’t it be okay to just die angry? After all, he’s standing before the thing that has caused the most pain in his life. The thing that took not one, but two families from him.

* * *

Natsu watches as Gray stands before Delioria with more anger in his eyes than Natsu has every seen before He almost looks fanatical. If Natsu was capable of fearing Gray he might have felt a slight bit nervous. Instead, he finds fury in his steps as he moves forward.

Or maybe not fury, he’s not all too sure what this feeling is. But he does know why he feels it. Gray, stupid ice and all is _family_ and Natsu wants him to live. He steps in front of him because if Gray thinks that the only way to defeat the monster is to die…

Then Natsu is going to show him the power of defeating a monster and living.

“Didn’t my voice reach you? I stopped that attack because I wanted you to live.”

* * *

The anger that surges through Gray when Natsu steps in front of him is almost enough to allow him to ignore the fear that is also surging through him. Delioria has taken so much from him and now Natsu was going to foolheartedly fight him?

“Get out of the way stupid!” Gray reaches out to grab the other, to push him out of the way.

Delioria is roaring and the ice is melting. The more that Ur’s ice melts, the angrier Gray becomes. Hate is surging in his veins as he tries to move the smaller man but Natsu is immovable before him. It reminds him that Natsu, at least emotionally, has always been stronger and the self hate that surges through him causes him to stumble back.

“I want you to live, Gray.” Natsu voice was clear in his ears even with all of the noise surging around him.

He shakes Gray off like he weighs nothing and launches his attack. Gray is still futilely reaching for him as Natsu’s fist crashes into the monster. What happens next is a surprise to everyone present. The loud crack, the crashes as the monster slowly begins to collapse in on itself.

“Your master is really strong.” Natsu complimented and nudged Gray gently.

Gray wants to feel grateful. He wants to look on with happiness. Ur is gone, that was never going to change but she had done it. He had never had to doubt her power, her determination and, for the first time he acknowledges it, her _love_.

He _had_ failed her though, he had been spending his time waiting to die. He had pretended to move on, followed her desire for him to move south and grow. And he had spent all of the time hating himself. Even more then Delioria or Lyon’s stupidity he hated himself.

* * *

Natsu reached out and took Gray’s hand. He had a feeling that it couldn’t be easy to have his entire past laid bare for everyone to see. Even things that Natsu and Erza didn’t know about him had been revealed. He also assumed it couldn’t be easy to have Lucy basically open him up with Lyra and more. 

He desperately wanted to tuck the ice mage into his side and make him realize how much how good he was. He knew though, that Gray wasn’t ready for that yet. Right now, he would stay by his side. Help him drag Lyon’s stupid ass out of the cave and go back to Fairy Tail to receive their punishment. He would help Gray find the will to live.

And if there are secrets floating in Natsu’s heart, then he can hold them until later. When Gray is in the right frame of mind to understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one feels... unfinished? So will the next one so I might one day come back and change them around a bit. I will try and be good and not delete it...


	22. Age, Play & kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a life they never imagined they'd have. At least not in this way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a million ocs! Well, just 4 actually....

When Gray was a child, it had never occurred to him to want a family. At first it was because he was too young and his family was his parents and that was his whole world.

When Natsu was a child, he dreamed of having a family. It was probably not in the way that others did. Even without his memories of Anna and the other dragon slayers he imagined that he had always imagined him with a bunch of kids, but no actually set unit of mother, father and children.

What they have now is better then probably their wildest dreams. Jules and Red had been almost like a godsend. And probably better for Gray’s anxiety that they weren’t baby young when they found them. Or Natsu found them.

While Lucy would always protest it, she was probably the first stray that Natsu had brought home and kept. In fact, it was obvious that many of the strays within Fairy Tail had been found by Natsu.

* * *

Natsu walked carefully with the baby in the sling, probably the youngest child that he had ever directly encountered outside of the guild children. Lucy’s kids were pretty great though and Erza’s taciturn daughter Natasha was far two much of handful no matter how he looked at it. Right now, the two girls that he had taken on this mission, Natasha and Red had their brightly colored heads pressed together probably scheming.

He had taken them out on what was supposed to be an easy mission. Beat up the monsters and head back, they were only 10 and he was sure that if he’d let them get hurt that Gray would just sit back and let Erza decimate him.

As they ran ahead to the guild, he just hoped that they didn’t spoil the… surprise.

* * *

“Ah the twins, hot head can't be too far behind.” Gray smiled from his seat as Red, the younger of the two ran and jumped into his lap.

“Papa! This mission was great! You should have been there!”

“Really? What did you three demons do this time?” Gray asked teasingly.

“We beat up a really big monster and then we found—” Natasha covered her mouth right quick and smiled up at Gray with a mischievous grin.

“Big mouth here is going to talk all day. We did the mission with great success.” Now that really had Gray curious and a little nervous. Natasha and Red were alarmingly into pranks and that was only encouraged by Natsu but honestly, they both seemed tired so he decided not to push it. He could take one for the team to make the girls feel good if he really had to. He wouldn’t go down easy though if Natsu was involved.

The door opened again but not with the usual energy that Natsu often had and Gray was utterly surprised to see that attached to his chest was one of those baby slings like Lucy and Ezra had carried when their children had been tiny. Oh how Gray wished that the surprise had just been a stupid prank.

“Natsu? Is that a—” Lucy cut herself off as she turned to look at Gray but he just shrugged, Natsu was pretty damn good at finding strays. Jules and Red were a testament to that, but never before had Natsu found some one so young. Even the other young guild members that Natsu had found were at least old enough to walk.

“Uh…. Can we talk in the office Gray?” Natsu asked nervously as he looked between the two.

Lucy gave a ‘by all means’ gesture to show she didn’t mind as Loke appeared beside her, also curious after he’d felt her surprise and excitement. Even with four kids Lucy could still get the occasional twinges of baby fever even if she was defiantly having no more kids.

In the office, Natsu gently eased the baby out of the sling and passed him to Gray. The other wanted to protest but the Dragon Slayer looked tired and too nervous about the baby to hand him to someone else. Which made Gray bite into his lip almost roughly. Natsu had various reactions to people but rarely did he have one that screamed ‘mine’ and this was definitely one of those times.

“We finished the mission pretty quickly but on the way back I head this little one crying in the woods.” The pink-haired man explained softly. “We took him to the village that was on our way but no claims and no registry. Probably abandoned. He has a surprising amount of magic power for being well… Maybe a month old?” Natsu scratched his head. “Feeding him was a bitch.”

Gray’s mouth opened and closed a few times, it was almost as if he’d forgotten how to speak common and even his native language seemed to escape him. “Natsu….”

“The plan is only to foster him until someone steps forward.”

“Natsu… Natsu, no one is going to step forward and I can tell right now that you don’t want anyone to.” He finally hissed out, a little annoyed that Natsu was acting like Gray didn’t know him.

“Gray, I don’t make decisions like this without you.” Natsu insisted.

Gray took a long deep breath. He had to cool his temper before it erupted, probably why Natsu had handed him the baby. Natsu had brought various kids back to Fairy Tail. Those with magic often joined theirs or one of their sister guilds. Those without magic might go to local orphanages or even other types of guilds. Natsu always made sure that those they stayed with were _good and safe_. Gray tried to pinpoint what was so different about this child.

“What did you name him?” He asked quietly. “Because we have never taken in someone this young and I know that you’ve already fallen in love with him. Don’t deny it.”

“Well… autumn is coming so I thought ‘Aki’ was a good code name until someone stepped forward.”

At the mention of his name, the little boy seemed to respond by opening his eyes and they were a rich dark blue, the same color as Gray’s. He felt something in him melt. In many ways, the children had commented that being held by Natsu and Gray almost felt the same even if they weren’t and Gray knew it had to do with the Dragon mating magic. And this child was so close.

“You feel it now too don’t you?” Natsu asked hopefully.

“He has dragon magic.” Gray whispered in surprise and looked up at Natsu. Something in him melted. They had met others with Dragon magic, mostly learned through lacrimas like Cobra or Laxus. No others that had come by it naturally. Which had to mean…

“I think… he was part of an experiment. And I won’t allow the Magic Council to take away his ability to be a person because of it.” Natsu hissed.

“Please tell me you _did_ find this baby in the woods like you told me.” Gray shook at the implications.

“We did… But the woods in question were near where that nomadic Dark Guild was when Jellal took them out last week. Who’s to say if a few stragglers didn’t leave… things behind.” Natsu looked beyond angry but Gray knew he had a point. If he had managed to pass near where Jellal was working and found proof. He’d have to talk to Lucy and the older man later.

“So say we take this one in. How long until Jules throws a fit?” He asked with a helpless sort of grin, and at that point, Natsu knew that Gray was most likely on board by now.

“As soon as she sees him.”

* * *

Gray wasn’t sure what he had expected his life to be like in his late twenties, early thirties but as he looked at his kids he couldn’t say he wasn’t proud. They were down by the river today, Jules was walking around with toddler Aki while Red and Natasha, thick as thieves, were sparing just like they use to when they were kids.

He sighed softly and looked over at Natsu. “Did you think you’d have something like this as a kid?”

“Nope.” Natsu smiled, full of teeth and cheer. “I mean I imagined kids sometimes but definitely not these kids and not this husband.”

“Stupid ash breath.” Gray was sure that his face was flushed and he turned to look back at the kids as Aki wiped out and started to cry. Jules with her healing magic knelt down and healed the small scrape. Gray shook his head and then laughed out loud as Red wiped out just like her brother.

Only Red landed in the river. Her indigent cries made it hard for anyone to feel sympathy for her as she pushed herself out of the water, fiery red hair sopping around her face. “I’ll win next time!”

“Of course you will.” Natsu called out in encouragement. The response was Natasha sending a wave of magic his way that he easily blocked. “Oi, are you looking for a fight?”

“Come on old man, I bet you can’t take the two of us.” Natasha stated as she pulled up Red beside us. “You’re getting slow and old!”

Gray couldn’t help the laugh that sputtered out of him. Natasha definitely knew how to push his buttons. Even if it was all in jest. He pushed himself to his feet and pressed his fist to his palm.

“Ice make: cage!” He trapped the two girls and walked over to them. “It’s lunch time and I do not need Erza on my ass.”

“Uncle Gray said a bad word!” Natasha slapped her hands over her mouth in fake shock. “I’m gonna tell Mom!”

He laughed softly and ruffled her hair before releasing the cage and letting Red climb up on his back. “As if… I’ve heard the way you talk.”

He looked to where Natsu was herding the other two children. So this was his life now, a husband and kids. He and Natsu had had to slow down on taking missions when Aki had been really little but the two year old had adapted quite well to having fathers that left for sometimes a week at a time. He wasn’t looking forward to the tears when Aki and Jules found out that he and Natsu were going to be gone for two weeks though.

He wouldn’t trade his life for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an idea that I had and then abandoned but I felt it fit the prompts pretty well so I decided to fix it up and post...
> 
> Also, I guess Lucy and Ezra have kids I’ll leave their partners up to your imagination. To be honest, I actually didn’t get far enough to think about that...


	23. Truth Serum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juvia has decided to get the truth out of Gray... It goes not well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... so this is actually the first fic I ever wrote for Fairy Tail, heavily edited because it was embarrassing...

“Gray-Sama… I have been meaning to ask, who do you love the most?”

The ice mage’s mouth opened but no sound came out. A distinctly queer expression crossed his face and he forced his mouth shut.

“Come on~ Juvia has been waiting so long for the answer.” An encouraging smile crossed her face.

On the other hand, the queer expression on Gray’s face worsened. His mouth opened on its own again and there was a brief gurgle of sound before he pressed his lips into the thinnest of lines. A sharp spike of pain hit in his head. What was this? Why was he feeling compelled to answer her question? As she pressed, sweat began to break out across his brow and the pain seemed to center like a particularly bad migraine. With a groan, he leaned forward.

“I l—” That way lied madness so he pressed his hand to his mouth to keep his silence. And that is when it hit him, a truth serum had been in that _gift_.

There is a rather large problem truth serums and that is that people can fight them. It doesn’t just make your mouth move with the truth when a question is asked. No, it tries to compel one to speak the truth and the more the person under its influence fought, the more it hurt. It was primarily used as a torture tool on wizards as the stronger their magic and will, the more pain it caused.

“Why won't you answer?!” Juvia wailed which caught the attention of other members and Mirajane slid over.

“Are you okay? Gray?”

“Stop asking questions!” He groaned roughly and that caused the white-haired mage to raise an eyebrow. She looked at Juvia but the water mage looked away with a huff.

“Gray?” Mirajane asked one more time softly but the ice make mage was too afraid that answering one question would lead to him being forced to answer all the questions and forced himself into a standing position. If he could physically remove himself away from people he’d be okay.

“Gray you don't look so good. Would you like to lay down?” The takeover mage was only trying to be helpful but it only added to the pain as Gray all but collapsed holding his head.

“Gods!” Mirajane gasped and then turned around. “Elfman help me get him upstairs!”

* * *

“Natsu.” Gray stated quietly when Natsu came into the room to check up on him. “Don’t be mad at Juvia, okay? It’s not just her fault things went down this way. I’m not sure she fully understands friendships between men and women.”

“She’s friends with Gajeel! She even calls him that stupid ass nickname!” The protest was quick but Gray shook his head and squeezed Natsu’s shoulder.

“Yeah, but they aren’t as into touch as the rest of us. That feeling might be a little foreign. Even after all this time she still thinks of Luce as a ‘love rival’ even if Lucy and I would never romantically touch in a million years.” The tired man snorted. “I wouldn’t betray Loke like that anyways.”

Natsu snorted a laugh. He had questions that he was dying to ask Gray but he wouldn’t. Not now when he could cause the other further pain. Instead, he tapped their heads together gently.

“A lot of this comes from your demon slayer abilities doesn’t it?” Natsu coughed and shuddered realizing what he did. And almost _immediately_ after he told himself he wouldn’t. “You don’t haveta answer!”

“It’s all right.” A soft chuckle. “Yes, that’s partly the reason. I use to make fun of you for talking about mates and the right person. But all slayers feel that way, don’t they? Dragon, god, devil… Don’t ask me about actual mates but Juvia only smells like family.”

“Hmmm.” Natsu hummed lightly, it was something that probably only slayers could understand. People had distinct smells and also, the ability assigned different associations with their smells. Nearly everyone in Fairy Tail smelled like family. Some smelled a little bit differently but now was not the time to debate that. “It seems like you figured out how to differentiate smells by yourself pretty easily.”

“Not really.” Gray gave him a rare lopsided smirk. “I’ve only had about a year's worth of practice. Maybe one and a half. It’s just that. Leaving Fairy Tail after Tataros and then coming back. It was so strong and comforting. I knew I was home. One of my true homes.”

Natsu felt something swell inside him at Gray’s words. He found so many words and sentences on the tip of his tongue. All fighting for purchase. He bit his lip sharply and opened the infirmary door. He needed to let Gray recover. Later they would go to the river bank and talk.

* * *

Gray didn’t know what led to this, the truth serum accident was a mere two days behind him and he had been sitting by the riverbank thinking about how that incident had affected him. He wanted to brush it off as nothing but he found himself thinking more and more about that conversation with Natsu. The one about smells and home. It was still a little strange to be able to catalog smells and what they meant in such a way, but he couldn’t deny what he was smelling on top of all the other cues.

Natsu who had once smelled like capability was now smelling like home. As if something fundamental had changed without Gray noticing it. He shifted and brushed a hand over the necklace around his neck. Fairy Tail was his true home, a place that he could always come back to. More of home than any of the other places that he had once dwelled. But what did that make Natsu?

“There you are, you pervy ice mage.” Natsu called as he slid down the hill to meet up with him. “Lucy and Erza are thinking about taking a job tomorrow. Like a big—”

“I’m in.” Gray responded immediately and shifted a look at Natsu. “Flaming idiot.”

Natsu paused at the soft way that Gray had spoken. He had volunteered to go after Gray to get him for the team meeting but mostly so that he could check on him. The river for Gray, Natsu, and Erza had held many special meanings. Mostly sad, and so he had hoped not to find the mage there but his nose never lied. Gray didn’t seem sad though, so maybe it was more thinking. Which was weird because the ice mage was one of the most emotionally constipated people Natsu had ever met.

“That was rather quick snowflake.” Natsu leaned back and looked up into the bright blue sky. “Anything I should know?”

Gray bit his lips and shifted slightly and then shifted again. Natsu wasn’t known for his patience and would probably erupt soon but this was hard to talk about. Finally Gray just rolled his eyes at himself.

“What do you do when scents change?”

“Change?” Natsu turned and looked at him. “What? Like when someone uses a new shampoo or something? Just ignore it. The true smell is away there.”

“Argh… I mean. Not the scent itself but… how you associate it? I… I don’t know what I’m saying.” Gray shook his head and moved to stand but a warm hand pushed him back down.

“It’s not really all that different from when your feelings about a person change.” Natsu shrugged and turned back to the water. “For instance, Jellal’s scent use to smell like an enemy. Now a friend…”

Gray nodded as he thought of Erza and the outlaw mage. Jellal was an easy and safe topic for association. They both knew where they stood on the former council member and how those associations would have changed over time. It answered Gray’s question but it complicated things more.

He was about to ask another question when Natsu turned to face him. “Associations change based on feelings, evidence and other kinds of input. Just like fighting.” A lopsided grin covered his face. “Also, you overthink things too much.” A warm kiss was pressed against the corner of Gray’s mouth.

“N-Natsu!”

“I know I don’t seem patient but I am. I’ll be ready when you are.” The dragon slayer bounced onto his feet. “But now we have a mission to prepare for! Race you to the guild!”

“YOU FUCKING...” Gray shouted as he pushed himself to his feet and took off after the laughing idiot. He hated how Natsu made everything seem so easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So er... there's that. A little less embarrassing than the last one but still... facepalm.
> 
> Also, why did I do this? I don't even like this trope?


	24. Preview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have teased a long fic and here is a short extra from it.

Being back in Magnolia was strange and exciting. While it felt like he had only been gone for a few days, it had been literal years since he had returned to this place and so many things were different. Some were good and others weren’t so good. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to Macao with less hair and Romeo was so big now. They could probably start training together!

The change that captivated him most of all was naturally the changes in magic that must have occurred during the time that they had been absent. He had learned that there were other Lost Magics that had been restored and that it wasn’t so strange to have people walking around as proudly as the Dragon Slayers did, and this lead to a profound change in Gray. The other knew that he had to start training his other magic, even if just so that he could control it. And that had led to him not using the suppression magic anymore.

It took a bit to get used to, Gray with pointed ears and sharp fangs. As well as that tattoo. It was much bigger than when they were younger. It stretched up his arm to shoulder and across his shoulder blades in thick black ink that Natsu knew he could trace for hours without getting bored.

Which led to Natsu’s other problem. The Grand Magic Games were months away, there was no discernible danger and all he could smell was Gray’s delicious scent. Snow, flowers and other enticing things and every bit of it smelled like it should belong to Natsu.

Natsu would be the first to admit he didn’t know much about relationships outside of family and friendship. What little Igneel had taught him was wrapped up in Dragon norms and the occasional thing that probably didn’t translate well. He could probably talk to Gajeel about it, but no way in hell was he approaching the other as if he were the big brother in this friendship/rivalry.

It left not a lot of options and that had him, in turn, looking towards Gildarts to ask questions. And then he shuddered in fright. He had learned via his snooping on Cana’s confession that the older man had found the love of his life and than blew it. It was common though, many wizards that he’d met that attempted marriage had divorced. The workload and the amount of worry for a battlemage was tiring, to say the least.

He was sure though, that with he and Gray both being battle mages he wouldn’t have to worry about that particular problem but the worse was approaching him about it He had hoped that Gray like other Slayers would smell _it_ , but he couldn’t be sure that Devil Slayers worked in that way. The alternative was to talk with the mage about his feelings and Natsu shuddered at the thought.

Definitely not that option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm... I wonder how many extras this fic will have when I get it close to done? I hope not toooo many...


	25. Glasses & Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return of the coffee shop AU

Oddly enough, one of the biggest changes in Gray’s life starts with two things. A hair cut and a broken pair of glasses. In hindsight, he’s sure that just makes him sound like more of an idiot. He is at Rosen Krone, the cafe that his mother and her partner Ur run, studying for a final when a strange customer walks in.

Okay, Gray shouldn’t be so judgmental, this cafe is on probably the weirdest street in Magnolia and is full of the weirdest shops. But this guy takes the cake for right now. He has shaggy pink hair and looks like he’s homeless with his tattered clothes.

He saunters up to the till and orders a couple of drinks. Ur has on her best, disapproving frown but he knows she’ll be worried about the guy either way. She has too big of a heart as his parents, her partners always complain. Either way, the shaggy dude leaves quickly after with a bit of small talk.

Lyon who is working behind the counter to earn some extra pocket money scoffs loud enough for Gray to hear over the soft sounds of the espresso machine.

“Igneel has a son?!”

Ur shrugged and smacked Gray’s step-brother over the head. “Be on your best behavior.”

* * *

The next time that Gray sees Igneel’s mysterious son, he wasn’t even sure it was the same person. Short, deliberately styled pink hair and a decidedly wicked shoulder tattoo of a dragon and a fairy on full display. He’s cleaned up nicely. He comes with Igneel’s only other employee at his comic shop Cana Alberona, the weird fortune teller.

“So like, I told you Luce would clean you up real nice. She has an eye for style.” Cana stated as they entered the cafe.

“Cana! She studies astronomy! She’s weird.” Natsu complains and Cana just rolls her eyes and gives him a once over.

“Two weeks and you’ll be best friends… or you could move back to Crocus?”

There’s a distinct shudder that runs through Natsu. “I am not moving back to Crocus. I love Zeref and all but Igneel was right and I should have followed him here soon. Crocus is awful.”

Cana laughers and heads up to the register as Gray tries virtuously to pretend he wasn’t staring shamelessly at the now cleaned up young man. Natsu had to be around his age, and now that Gray could see his face, _hot_.

“The usual. Oh and this monster wants something super sweet and full of caffeine.” She flicked a hand back towards Natsu and Gray tried very hard not to blush.

He’s sure he failed.

* * *

The third time that Gray meets Natsu they are both on campus and Natsu is staring in annoyance at a pair of broken glasses. Gray almost wants to laugh at the pout on his face but makes sure to keep a mask of indifference on. If Natsu is at his tiny university then surely by now he has heard about Gray’s weird family.

“Hey! You’re the boy at the coffee shop!” Natsu cheers and heads over to him. “I accidentally broke my glasses in a friendly fight with… that jerk who has like a billion piercings? Could you help me find a glasses shop?”

“You couldn’t have been on this campus for more than a week and you’ve already had a fight?!” Gray asked with wide eyes.

“No.” Natsu shakes his head. “A friendly fight. Gajeel and I are sparing partners and I thought that sparing in my glasses this one time would be fine. I was wrong. And that jackass just laughed at me and left!”

Gray tries to fight the urge to roll his eyes but does it anyway. “Fine, fine, I have like an hour before my next class and lucky you there’s a glasses shop near here.”

“You’re the best cute coffee shop boy!” Natsu grinned sunnily.

“…did you forget my name?” Gray asked suspiciously but Natsu’s grin just grows.

“I literally am the worst at names?” He says it more like a question and Gray frowns with annoyance.

“My name is Gray you asshat.” He turns to guide the boy off campus. “Don’t go making up weird nice names.”

“But you are the cute boy from the coffee shop.” Natsu teases as he slings an arm around him. “But I guess Gray is easy to say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I realize that I do enjoy this coffee shop Au. So while I am going to do long!fic with the whole devil slayer thing I think I am going to do a collection of shorts for this... That way I am not overwhelmed...


	26. Time & Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu was willing to love Gray from afar but over time Juvia’s obsession won’t allow him to ignore his feelings.

Natsu is sure that at some point the feelings he has for Gray could be described as little more than a childhood crush. At least that is the way it feels for the first few years of it. Puberty had definitely opened his mind to a lot of questions and answers about himself that he was very glad to discover _on his own_. Thank god, Guildarts hadn’t been in Magnolia during that time.

It was easy to let those feelings manifest themselves as rivalry. After all, he’d heard Gray talk about girls and Natsu was content in that. Igneel hadn’t had the time to talk to him about love and things like that and he most definitely didn’t want to try to talk to Erza or Lisanna about such a topic. He was content without telling Gray a thing.

* * *

Or so he _thought_. Natsu is a naturally forgiving person. It takes a lot to do something that he will never forgive and so when Juvia asks to become a member of Fairy Tail and expresses her gratitude and hero worship to Gray with love confessions and and presents. He lets it roll, he could live with Gray loving something else.

It’s when things took a decidedly weird turn that his emotions got in the way. It started with little things that he was overhearing in the guild. Juvia talking enthusiastically about things she _shouldn’t_ know. 

The first time was about Gray’s favorite Isvan foods. Not necessarily a secret but still strange that she knew. Then there was that time she talked about him sleeping. They had all just come back from everything that had happened on Tenroujima. Also, not a big deal. It was until she let it slip that she had slept at his side in his house, _uninvited_. 

Natsu could feel his insides twisting. It hadn’t occurred to him at first but Juvia was stalking Gray. The Grand Magic Games might have been his turning point. She blotched events, harassed Gray after his loss and maybe the worst was the events with the dragons.

Natsu knew Gray well, after such a shocking thing he needed time alone. Gray wasn’t as taciturn and guff as people thought. He processed things alone and then reached out for comfort. It was how he always had been, he didn’t like to lash out in misplaced anger or accidentally freeze people when his emotions were out of control.

So he wasn’t surprised to see Juvia with a frozen wrist after she had followed him.

* * *

Natsu had lost far more than he could imagine as he stood beside the crater that had once held Igneel. His mind felt shattered but he listened carefully. He had to prove to Igneel that he was good and true and strong enough for anything. Right now he wasn’t.

He felt someone come near him but it was just Gray. The other mage didn't really say anything and oddly enough it felt strange. Were they standing side by side but still feeling alone? After a while Gray jerked Natsu towards the temporary infirmary that had been set up.

They headed there together quietly. As they got their wounds dressed, Natsu could hear Juvia gushing to Lisanna about Gray’s father. It was louder than he thought because he could feel the other man tensing up beside him in fury.

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Were the first words that Natsu had heard Gray say. It didn’t ease the tension in Natsu but it did make him feel the slightest bit better. Gray didn’t return her feelings.

* * *

Juvia’s possessive comments might have been aimed at Lucy but they left a sick feeling in Natsu’s gut. It was kind of horrifying to hear the way she had followed Gray and had refused to let him even have time to himself. As they listened to Juvia talk about living with Gray and blatantly ignoring his wishes, Natsu wondered what he would have done in Gray’s place. The other had far more patience then him.

* * *

Lucy shifted beside Natsu as they rode towards Avatar. She could feel the tension in his shoulders. Something that had’t left him after they had taken the mission from Rogue and Minerva. Happy had flown off ahead of them and it was a good chance to talk to him, but she also didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Finally though, she couldn’t stand the way his back seemed ready to snap from the pressure. She squeezed her arms around his waist.

“Hey, we’ll see him soon enough and get this all figured out.” She spoke directly into his ear even if she didn’t need to.

“I’m not worried about Gray.” He huffed and she laughed softly.

“Sure you are… If you had known where he was, you would have went after him first. Don’t think I don’t know you Natsu. I still can’t believe you let him out of your sight for a whole year.”

She could practically hear his eyes roll. “Gray can take care of himself.”

She squeezed him again. “So can anyone in Fairy Tail. That’s not the point.”

Natsu huffed but she let it go, the line of his back in a more relaxed line.

* * *

It was an absolute thrill to fight as a team again. They had all grown but still came together as if the last mission they had was only a few days ago and not over a year. Natsu couldn’t help the joyful cackles that left his mouth as he bounced off of Gray’s ice or saw the underlings flying in the distance as Erza plowed through him. 

Even Lucy’s physical abilities had grown as she fought alongside her spirits. It as a reassuring feeling and joyful. Even though the guild wasn’t back together yet, it felt like home. As the dust cleared he could smell others, Wendy had caught up with them. And with her, naturally was Juvia.

Something in Natsu’s gut tightened.

* * *

The aftermath of the battle was good. He watched as Gray scooped up Frosch and stared at him with what might have been the dumbest look on his face that Natsu had ever seen. 

Natsu was absolutely smitten.

He would do anything to see that look on Gray’s face again. Juvia had been mostly dragged into conversation with Lucy and Erza which allowed that look to be preserved until Rogue had had enough of sharing his Exceed but Natsu didn’t mind. The look of peace on Gray’s face was just as good.

* * *

“You know… the longer you don’t say anything, the weirder I’m gonna feel.” Gray stated as he stared Natsu down.

“I…” The dragon slayer couldn’t even explain why he was speechless. In all his daydreams he had never imagined Gray confessing _first_.

“Idiot.” Gray reached out and took Natsu’s hand. “Do you remember how to speak? Can I get a yes or no? I’m sure Cana will share her alcohol with me if you magically don’t feel the same way.”

“What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?!” Natsu exclaimed as he grabbed on to both of Gray’s hands.

Gray’s laugh with only a hair hysterical, “I’m pretty sure you’ve been into me since the war with Tartaros. If I’m wrong then just punch me and go.”

“Since! Tataros!” Natsu is sure that his heart is going to burst out of his chest in surprise and frustration. “You’ve know that long?!”

“…wanted to solve everything with Juvia and myself first.” Gray looked away, suddenly shy.

“I have been in love with you for at least half my fucking life and—”

“And what?” Gray turned back to look at him, no longer shy, the glint in his eyes teasing. “You thought you’d confess first? You took too long.”

“Too long?!” The rage that Natsu is trying to express is mostly for show but something seems broken in his own mind as he takes in Gray. They had changed so much and yet in many ways not at all. “Tataros was almost two years ago!”

Gray’s laughing as he tugs Natsu closer and kisses him. “But I still confessed first. So I win.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost at the end! I like this one even though I think the set up is a little weird...


	27. Scream and Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A take on the Grand Magic Games and a lowkey approach to mating.

When Natsu crashes back onto Motherglare’s back after a particularly harsh attack from Mirai Rogue, he expects to get back up with no problem. Nothing feels particularly injured and his mind is completely battle focused. What he doesn’t expect are the screams that interrupt him.

It's faint but he hears Juvia scream for Gray, shortly followed by Lyon’s cry of anguish. So many people have been screaming out in pain that he generally didn’t focus on it. He needed to focus on this battle, to stop Mirai Rogue before they became overwhelmed.

And then the pain came.

* * *

_“I’m tired of waiting you know.” Natsu teased as he tilted Gray’s head back. “We don’t have to tell anyone but we might as well start the bond.”_

_“I’m not even a slayer idiot. Will I even feel the bond?” Gray rolled his eyes but Natsu could seem the worry behind his eyes._

_“You’ll feel it.” Natsu smacked a kiss to his forehead as loudly as possible. “More importantly, we’ll always feel each other. Like a gentle reminder.”_

_“Okay, okay.” Gray laughed as he shoved Natsu. “I’ll do it if it makes you happy.”_

* * *

The gentle trill against Natsu’s heart, the place that lets him feel Gray’s presence was gone. The pain most certainly wasn't physical and the way that he paused allowed Mirai Rogue to continue whatever monologue he was making now, but none of that mattered.

Natsu was devastated. A future of promises, a lifetime with Gray was all gone. Lost to this demented incarnation of a fellow dragon slayer. Someone who should have understood.

The scream that erupts from Natsu is unholy.

* * *

Gray blinks awake and stares at the other before he dives out of the way. He manages to survive what had definitely been a kill shot _before_ … or was it never now? He’s not sure what it means or what happens but he can feel the trill in his chest that was created by his bond with Natsu is chaotic.

The waves of anger and grief cause physical pain in his chest but there is no way that he can reach Motherglare right now. And he can’t leave the group around him to their fate either. He works with the other four to get to safety, all the while wondering.

Who or what had saved his life?

* * *

Gray is sitting tiredly in the aftermath of watching Natsu and the two dragons crash into the Eclipse gate. There is blood seeping through his bandages and from other wounds. His mind though is hazy and sometimes he imagines there is blood creeping from other injuries, ones that _never_ happened and he feels sick.

He knows that he should head to the makeshift infirmary but right now he needs to be away from the brightness and the endless amounts of activity that the others are creating.

He had _died_.

“Gray?” The voice is soft and unobtrusive but Gray knows he can’t turn that person away, for both their sakes.

“Come’ere.” He called and Natsu is kneeling in front of him in an instant. Hands are brushing across Gray’s face and neck before Natsu carefully presses his face to his neck and breathes in deeply.

“You—”

“I died.” Gray stated, knowing that Natsu couldn’t say the words. “I died but time turned back or… I don’t know.”

“Maybe the gate?” Natsu asked but the other shook his head and Natsu seemed to suddenly be aware of the heavy copper smell coating Gray. He pulled back and grabbed the bandages that he had brought with him. “We should probably change these.”

Gray looked down, the patch of red on his bandages had grown far too much for comfort and he moved to stand only to stumble. He’d probably lost a bit too much blood at this point to walk on his own. Natsu slipped under his shoulder and began walking towards some buildings that were only half crumpled.

“I’m sure we can find a place that still has a bed and clean water.” He pressed his head to Gray’s. “When we get back to Magnolia… let’s complete the ritual.”

Gray laughed softly and nudged Natsu back. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have come to the end. This is my first writing project in a long time and it was great fun and I met some great people.
> 
> I think this has given me the ability to realize that I can still write (like a bicycle am I right?) and do it well. So thanks for coming along on this journey with me and I hope to see you guys on the next ride~
> 
> And, also as per my tradition: Thanks to all of you commenters, lurkers, those that left kudos and more. You guys are always appreciated~


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